The Celtic Wolf
by up2late
Summary: When a traitor threatens Edward's ailing father, Edward reluctantly steps up and whisks him away to the Cullen's rural estate. Also coercing his father's physical therapist into making the trip with them. As soon as she can get the old man back on his feet, Edward will be free of family responsibility. But what happens when the brutally honest Bella stumbles into his bedroom?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Submitted to the We Love Mobward Contest put on by Pay It Forward. Much thanks to SunflowerFran for suggesting the contest. This was completely out of my wheelhouse... thus the lemony goodness sprinkled throughout. Oh, who am I kidding? It's drenched in the stuff. ;) Have plans to expand it, just not sure when...**

 **Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.**

BPOV

"You know he's in the mob, right?"

Bella shot Alice a dark look and hoped Mr. Cullen hadn't heard her from the hallway. Bella waited until the door fully closed before turning on her friend.

"Honestly, Alice."

"What?" Alice said with a shrug. "He is."

Opting to ignore her, Bella returned to her appointment book at the front desk and placed a neat check next to Mr. Carlisle Cullen's name. Her next client wasn't scheduled for nearly an hour but Mrs. Stanley suffered from a host of problems that would require a little more set up. Unfortunately for Bella, the physical therapy suite located within Forks County Hospital was small enough that Alice's voice carried to her perfectly well from across the space.

"Come on, Bells. He's just got that air about him. The kind that reeks of old money earned through questionable means."

Bella fought the smile threatening to emerge as Alice continued to pile fictional facts onto Bella's unsuspecting client. Once she got started there was no stopping her. Especially in an empty office.

"Bring me that foam roller would you, Al?" Bella tried to interrupt the diatribe.

"Blue or black?" asked Alice.

"Blue."

"And what's with that goon he always comes in with? The guy never says anything." Alice huffed as she took a seat next to Bella on the floor.

Taking the foam roller from Alice with a playful tug, Bella narrowed her eyes. "Jasper is perfectly nice. Just because he doesn't want to talk to the motormouth of Suite 189 doesn't mean he's a goon. And as for Mr. Cullen… the most nefarious thing about him are the eight rounds of chemo he just completed."

"Uh-huh," Alice hedged. She let Bella peruse her notes in silence for a minute before standing with a loud sigh. "Well, just so you know, I also happen to think Mrs. Stanley is the reincarnation of Zsa Zsa Gabor."

Bella smiled up at her friend. "Now that I agree with."

EPOV

"I heard you, Rose. Fine… yes. I understand." Edward hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose.

In the ten months he'd been filling in for his father, Edward could count on one hand the number of good phone calls that came through. Each one was worse than the next. And here he thought the office work part of the job would be the easiest.

A knock sounded and the door opened a second later. "Did you need me, Boss?"

Jasper stood just inside the doorway, blocking out the light that shone in from the hallway. His size was just one of the reasons they'd taken him on when Edward's dad had gotten sick. The reference he came with was the other. And while his stature was indisputable, his loyalty was not.

"Close the door, Jasper." Edward said as he stood. His suit jacket hung open and Edward slipped it off before folding it over the back of his father's chair. He rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white dress shirt.

 _Why the hell did I wear white?_

Jasper at least had the common sense to look nervous as Edward rounded the desk and came to stand in front of him. As hulking as the bodyguard was, Edward matched him for height. Although while his lean frame was well sculpted, he didn't have quite the bulk that Jasper did.

"Can I tell you something, Jasper?" Edward said, leveling a serious stare at the man standing before him.

"Of course, Boss." Came the mumbled reply.

"Ah, see that's just it. I never wanted to be the boss. Didn't want to take over the family business. I still don't. Which is why I need the old man safe and sound. Safe, Jasper."

"Boss," Jasper said with a nod, his eyes on the ground.

Edward snapped his fingers in Jasper's line of sight, forcing his gaze upward. Closing the little space that remained between them, Edward narrowed his eyes. "And that's not why you're here. Is it?"

Jasper's stoic silence was admirable. So was the offering of his square jaw. Edward's fist connected half a dozen times before Jasper moved. Even then he didn't fight back, just bent over and let his blood splatter all over Edward's dress shoes and the dark red carpet that had been chosen for that exact reason.

BPOV

Bella had one foot out the door when the phone started ringing. If Alice hadn't left an hour ago she would've dragged Bella away from the responsibilities of work and into a night at the club or some other place Bella had no interest in going. Instead she answered the phone.

"Forks Physical Therapy."

"I need to speak to Ms. Swan." The voice on the other end of the line was brooding with masculinity and a simmering anger.

"Speaking," Bella replied. "How can I help you?"

"You've been helping my father. Carlisle Cullen."

A shiver ran through Bella's body. Carlisle was soft-spoken and pleasant, the man on the phone sounded dangerous. "Yes, he's a-"

"We're going out of town," the man cut her off. "Tomorrow. I'd like you to accompany my father and continue your work with him."

Bella frowned as she listened to his clipped words. He sounded as though he was speaking through gritted teeth. She wondered what on earth had made him so angry. "I'm sorry but I can't just-"

"My father wants to dance with my mother at their fiftieth wedding anniversary at the end of the month."

"I know-" Bella tried to interject but was cut off again.

"And you're the one who's tasked with ridding him of that cane. I'm a man who expects people to keep their word."

With a huff, Bella raised her voice. "And I will. In my office. Now if he needs to reschedule his appointment, I'd be happy to arrange something for when you return."

Bella could've sworn she heard a growl in his angry exhale. His next words were rough and raw. "We won't be returning before the party. You need to come with us."

"Mr. Cullen," Bella began when the lone light still on at the desk flickered. The telephone line crackled and for a second she thought she'd lost him. "Mr. Cullen?"

"How many patients would suffer if your facility were to shut down indefinitely?"

Again, that chill ran down Bella's spine. "Excuse me?"

His voice lowered to graveled tone. "In exchange for your accompanying my father, I will personally see to it that not only does your office receive a large financial donation but the power will stay on and the hospital will stay in business."

Grasping the edge of the desk, Alice's words from earlier echoed through Bella's mind. She closed her eyes tightly against the notion that Carlisle or his son were involved in the mob. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options as quickly as she could with the heavy pants coming from the other end of the line. Whether or not his threats were valid, she wasn't the only physical therapist in the office. Alice and the rest of the staff could cover any appointments she might miss. At least until she was able to talk some sense into Carlisle and his son.

"Fine. Of course, I will need more details."

A grunt that Bella could only guess was indicative of his satisfaction came through the line. "I'll send a car to your place within the hour."

"Wait a minute," Bella replied. "How do you know where I live?"

EPOV

The echo of a gunshot sounded from deep inside Edward's pants pocket where his phone was currently residing. It was the ringtone he'd dedicated to any and all communication from Rose and ignoring her was rapidly becoming his new hobby.

Turning back to the bubbling pot of red sauce on the stovetop, Edward dipped his spoon in and gave it a delicate swirl. He insisted on a family dinner the first night at the Cullen Estate, just like his father always did. Whether it was a nod to tradition or he was becoming more comfortable in his temporary role, Edward wasn't sure.

Of course, family dinner meant something different now that Rose had married Royce and their father had gotten cancer. For one thing, it would be a whole lot less family. Tonight the table would be surrounded by people on the payroll.

 _Including Bella Swan,_ Edward thought.

He hadn't yet met his father's physical therapist but was pretty damn sure he owed her an apology. For threatening her business, coercing her into coming to Connecticut and just generally being an ass. He could use his punishment of Jasper as an excuse but it wasn't like he'd killed the guy. Just gave him a proper beating and sent him running back to the Volturi family with his tail between his legs. It was unorthodox to leave a traitor alive but Edward wasn't his father.

"Is this for dinner tonight?"

Edward recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to the woman to whom he owed that apology. Turning to face her, he wasn't surprised to see how beautiful she was. After all, he knew what she looked like, where she lived, who her family was and what her goddamn social security number was. What he didn't know was that a slow burn would warm his chest when he laid eyes on her.

She crossed the large kitchen and came to stand beside him at the stove. Dipping her pinky into the sauce, she licked it off with a hum and looked up at him. "I'm Bella. Mr. Cullen's physical therapist. And while this is delicious, it's hardly the kind of thing he needs to be eating."

Her brown eyes bore into his, earnest and about as threatening as a puppy. He suppressed a chuckle and when he spoke he was surprised that she didn't appear to recognize his voice. "I'm glad you like it."

"I said it was delicious, not that I liked it." She returned his smile before turning back to the stove.

"So, what's wrong with it exactly… Bella?" He liked saying her name. How it felt on his tongue and suddenly it didn't seem to so strange that she didn't recognize his voice. He hardly recognized it himself. It wasn't often that he sounded so… happy.

"Well, in my experience, delicious is usually a result of butter and oil and everything else bad for you."

"Then I think you're doing something wrong," Edward said.

She smiled up at him again and then called his attention to the large pot of pasta boiling. "Is that homemade?"

"It is," Edward replied. He couldn't help the pride that leaked into his voice.

"What kind of flour did you use?"

Putting his spoon down, Edward crossed his arms over his chest, obscuring the words "Grillfather" that were emblazoned on the front of his apron. A gift from Rose several Christmases ago, Edward only wore it because he valued keeping his suit in pristine condition. A little splatter may be easy to hide on his black dress pants but his white shirt wouldn't fare so well. He made a mental note to have his assistant pick up some dark colored shirts soon.

"The delicious kind," he said.

Bella fought a laugh, biting into her lip and glancing up at him through long lashes. That heat in his chest crackled through his body and he realized in that moment that nothing on his stove was likely as delicious as the woman standing in front of him.

"Mr. Cullen needs to be cutting down on saturated fats and sugar. A diet high in vegetables and lean proteins will only aid in his recovery."

Edward waved a hand toward his sauce and noticed Bella's gaze tracking his forearm. His sleeves were rolled up just past his wrist and the edge of a tattoo peeked out. Clearing his throat, he called her eyes back to his. "What do you think is in the sauce? Tomatoes, onions, garlic…"

"Not to mention cream…" Bella interjected.

"Is dairy not important?" Edward teased.

Bella opened her mouth to protest but Edward cut her off. "I'm kidding. Of course, I understand you have my- Mr. Cullen's best interest at heart. And I truly appreciate that. He's very important to all of us."

A warm smile lit up Bella's face and she placed a hand on Edward's arm. He tensed involuntarily. Her touch was like a shock. It drew all that heat from his chest straight to his arm and he wanted to hold her to him. Feel that burn over his whole body.

"Boss?" The word was followed by a not-so-subtle throat clearing. "Dinner about ready?"

Emmett's timing was impeccable.

 _And punishable_ , he thought as Bella withdrew her hand.

Without turning to his bodyguard, Edward nodded and searched Bella's face for any signs that might indicate how she felt about him.

"Five minutes, Emmett."

BPOV

From where she sat, wedged between two behemoths, Bella still managed to have an unobstructed view of Edward Cullen.

He was listed as Carlisle's emergency contact but other than that Bella had never laid eyes on him. Until earlier that night when she also laid a hand on him after insulting his cooking. Not that her touch had been quite as harsh as her words. In fact, she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his thick forearm beneath her fingers. He'd tensed when she touched him and the charming smile he'd been offering her as she ranted about healthier food choices disappeared in favor of something a little dangerous and a lot sexier.

Much like the look he wore throughout dinner. The one she felt was directed at her even when he wasn't looking directly at her. From his position at the head of the table, he was the focus of everyone's attention. Conversations were offered and whenever he indulged someone, Bella could make out the low, rough timbre of his voice as it carried across the room. She wasn't entirely sure how she hadn't recognized his voice right away. He was definitely the same man who'd called her at the office and insisted she accompany Carlisle on his Connecticut retreat.

And despite how good he looked in a suit and how the deep green of his eyes made her weak in the knees, Bella needed to focus. And apologize to him. There was no way Alice's wild assumptions about the Cullen family could be true – despite Edward's surprisingly sexy apron – or even somewhat responsible for Bella's driving desire to make amends. The matter of the fact was that she had insulted a man in his home. And now she just needed to find the right time to say she was sorry.

She helped to clear the table despite vigorous protestations from the household staff and was making her way back to her room when the perfect opportunity arose.

The Cullen Estate in southern Connecticut was palatial and labyrinthine and Bella became good and lost on her way back to her room. If only she'd paid better attention to all the twists and turns Emmett had taken on his way in with her luggage. Then again, her lack of attention earlier was what now led her past Edward's half-opened office door.

Dim light spilled over the large mahogany desk he was sitting at, head bent over disappointing market share reports or whatever the hell rich people frowned over. Not that he was frowning exactly but his lips formed a harsh line across his handsome face. When his eyes looked up into hers, Bella realized it was probably just as rude to lurk in the hallway and stare at him as it was to insult his cooking.

"Lost?" He asked.

"Lost. Full. Sorry." She listed her sins with a shrug and a smile.

"What are you sorry about?" His lips shifted into a crooked smile and he gestured for her to enter.

Bella slipped in, turning to close the door behind her. Her hand came to rest on the expensive wood finish of the door for a moment. Why had she closed the door? Hell, she'd already apologized. There wasn't anything more to say. Was there?

Turning, she took a deep breath and tried not to let his smile rattle her. It was unlike her to be nervous or intimidated. Shy? Sure. But she was rarely intimidated. And yet this man with his broad shoulders and disarming grin and mop of messy bronze hair set her nerves on edge.

He leaned back in his chair, pushing away from the desk and his frustrations if the look on his face was anything to go by.

"So, what's the apology for?"

"Earlier," she said with a vague gesture behind her, as if that explained everything. "In the kitchen."

Edward waved her explanation away. "Forget about it."

Bella laughed and glanced down at her feet. Alice would have a field day with that.

"I'm Edward."

"Bella," she replied. "Although I think I already introduced myself earlier."

Edward nodded and for a second his gaze dropped. Was he checking her out? If the heat tracking over her body was any indication, he most definitely was.

"I appreciate you coming all this way to help my father. I know he's anxious to be back on his feet for the anniversary party."

"And he will be." Bella crossed the room to stand behind one of the chairs positioned in front of the desk. "He's making amazing progress and we all keep hearing about his famous foxtrot. In fact, the whole staff has offered to help him practice but so far he hasn't taken us up on the offer."

Bella laughed as she remembered the day they all tried to bribe him into just a few steps. Carlisle was a charmer. He had most of the therapists wrapped around his finger and he was known for trying to sweet talk his way out of the harder exercises which left Bella in charge of his treatment. Only Bella seemed capable of resisting his charms but it was all an act. An act she was failing at when it came to his son.

"My father won't dance with anyone but my mother," Edward said with a shake of his head.

"That's so sweet. He's an old romantic," Bella said with a sigh.

Edward rubbed a large hand against his jaw and lifted an eyebrow. "He's something all right."

His gaze wandered away from her and she took the opportunity to appreciate how good looking he was. He'd abandoned his apron from earlier and still wore dress pants and a button-down shirt but no jacket. His sleeves were once again rolled up and Bella wished he'd move his arm so she could glimpse the tattoo he had there again.

 _I wonder if he has ink anywhere else,_ Bella thought.

"Look, I'm sorry to force you to come all this way. I hope it wasn't too much trouble getting your work schedule sorted out."

Bella dragged her gaze up to his eyes and shook her head, more to clear her mind of lurid thoughts than in response to him. "No, it's fine. Like I said I'm the one who should be apologizing. It was rude of me to insult you."

Edward's perplexed expression turned to one of understanding and he shrugged with a small laugh. "How was dinner?"

"Delicious," Bella admitted.

"I don't know," Edward said with a sly grin. "I feel like it needed more… vegetables."

Bella laughed and just as Edward joined her, his phone rang, interrupting them both. With a surreptitious glance, he turned it over on the desk and looked back to Bella.

"I'm sorry, I can go if you need to get that." She made a move toward the door.

"No, it's fine." He continued to ignore the ringing plus the pinging tone indicating that a voicemail was left. When it rang again, he picked it up and shoved it into a drawer, closing it with a slam.

"Telemarketer?" Bella joked.

"Sister," Edward grumbled.

Bella couldn't relate as an only child but had her fair share of family drama. "Family can be stressful."

Edward's eyes shot to hers, that hint of malice buried deep in the emerald color. "I'm not stressed."

Everything about Edward's posture warned Bella to relent. Then again, everything about his posture also indicated that he was lying. The firm set of his shoulders and hard line to his jaw were all telltale signs of someone under great stress. And now that she really looked, it was hard to miss the bruising color beneath his eyes as well. He wasn't sleeping well.

Bella rounded his desk and came to stand behind Edward's chair. When her hands fell to his shoulders, he tensed and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure. You're not stressed at all." She kneaded her fingers into the firm muscles of his shoulders and up to his neck. "It's completely natural to be made of stone."

His muscles gave under her ministrations the slightest little bit and she warmed at the thought that she was responsible for helping him. After all, that was what she did. She fixed people.

"Maybe I am." There was that low and dangerous voice again.

Bella ignored the shiver that ran down her spine and continued to massage his back, not failing to notice how good it felt to have her hands on him.

"I find that hard to believe," she finally said.

She knew he was going to move a second before he did but it still didn't give her adequate time to prepare. Time to catch her breath and arrange a pleasantly distant smile on her face. Instead when he swiveled to look at her, she felt a rush of warmth color her face and the tiniest gasp fall from her lips.

"Do you, Bella? Do you find it hard to believe?" Edward trapped her in his gaze, those mesmerizing eyes growing dark with desire. "Because I can assure you, I'm hard everywhere."

He leaned forward in the chair and before she could step back, his hand was on her leg. She couldn't decide whether to curse her decision to wear a dress or celebrate it. The heat from his hand drove a rush of desire pooling between her legs. His long fingers skimmed along her thigh, brushing against the fabric of her skirt as he moved his hand higher with each pass.

"Tell me to stop, Bella."

Bella took a breath. "Would you?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smirk. "Of course. Just tell me you don't want me to touch you."

She should but it was the last thing she wanted. At first glance Edward was handsome and charming and definitely worth having a naughty dream or two about. But then he touched her. His touch was like fire. It sparked a desire she'd never felt before and the tingling it sent through her body was begging her to follow through. See just how quickly this man could incinerate her if given free reign over her body. And that was just it. He would destroy her. A man as rich and powerful and controlling as she'd gleaned Edward to be in the short time she'd known him was sure to leave her life in ruin when he was done with her.

 _So maybe you walk away before he does. For once in your life._

"Bella," Edward's voice called her back to the present.

Her teeth bit into her lower lip as she tried to wrap her head around the dual sensations of his hand on her leg and his eyes on hers. "I don't want you to touch me…"

His hand stilled and Bella grasped the hem of her dress.

"…there."

Edward exhaled with a groan and his hands clasped Bella at the waist. He pivoted her and Bella found the desk at her backside all of a sudden. She leaned back against it. With the help of his large hands, Edward hopped her onto the edge of the desk and let his hands trail from her waist back down to her legs. His rough handling jostled her skirt so that it rose indecently high and Edward took full advantage.

While one hand resumed its careful circles on her over-sensitive skin, the other trailed between her legs and along the edge of her panties.

"Is this where you want me to touch you?" His voice was thick with lust.

Bella captured her lip in her teeth again and nodded as she splayed her hands out on the desk behind her.

"I need you to tell me, Bella." Edward ordered.

"Yes." Her lips formed the word but her voice was barely above a whisper.

A finger slipped beneath the edge of her panties and sought out her silken center. "What happened to the bossy woman I met in the kitchen earlier tonight?"

A glint of wickedness shone in Edward's eyes at the exact moment Bella felt his finger stroke between her folds. One of her hands shot out to grab hold of his shoulder. Whether it was the length of his finger or sheer intuition, Edward managed to find some magical spot within her that sent a jolt of pleasure rocketing down her legs.

"She's around here somewhere," Bella mumbled.

A low chuckle accompanied the next thrust of Edward's finger. "Well I hope she'll tell me if I'm doing _this_ right."

"Y-you're doing it right." Her stammering could be blamed on both the rhythm of his stroking and the tension coiling low in her stomach.

Edward shifted Bella's dress higher on her lap, exposing the view of his finger buried beneath her panties and that knot in her belly suddenly tightened again. When he briefly withdrew his finger to slide her panties down, Bella barely managed to lift her hips from the desk long enough to assist his mission. Once the scrap of silk was dangling around her ankles, Edward's fingers resumed their slow torture.

"And to think I've been cooking for so much longer," Edward mused as he took in the sight of his finger disappearing into her.

"I didn't say you were a bad cook," Bella protested.

His eyes locked on hers and a satisfied smirk spread across his face. "No, but I don't think I made enough to eat because I am starving."

Bella's fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulder, pulling him forward. The grin didn't leave Edward's face as he ducked down to pepper kisses along her inner thigh. She shimmied her hips, trying to take his finger in deeper or urge his lips higher but he had other ideas in mind.

With a firm grip, he pried her hand from his shoulder and placed it back on the desk. "Brace yourself," he said as he withdrew his finger from her.

Edward dragged the tip of his tongue against his lip and then lowered it to stroke against her throbbing center. Her legs shuddered and shook and his large hands clamped down on her thighs, holding them steady. His tongue slipped between her folds and pressed against her clit. She moaned and dropped her head back.

When he echoed her moan, the sound sent a shock of vibrations running through her body. Her fingers clutched at the desk, crumpling any papers that didn't go fluttering to the floor. Edward's lips sealed against her, his tongue buried deep, drawing her orgasm forth. She fought the sensation, trying to hold back and enjoy teetering on the edge at the will of this man.

A faint hint of reality nagged at her. In a matter of minutes they would be done and there would be another round of apologies, followed by enough awkwardness to last the rest of her stay at the Cullen Estate. Bella wasn't entirely worried about how to face him after tonight but rather how to control her libido around him. Between the suits, the cooking, the mysterious tattooed forearm, sexy green eyes and talented tongue, he was the embodiment of her every fantasy. These sudden worries held her orgasm at bay despite Edward's best efforts.

"Stop thinking, Bella."

She snapped her eyes open to connect with the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't a plea, it was an order.

"I don't do things halfway. I want your orgasm and I want it now." His tongue lapped at her, probing her folds. His lips closed around her clit and drew it into his mouth, teeth grazing the sensitive bundle of nerves until her legs were shaking again. Pulling his mouth off of her, he shot her a dark look. "And just so you know, I'll take as many as I like."

If that wasn't a promise of more, Bella didn't know what was. With a sigh, she relented her control and let Edward resume his relentless pursuit of her orgasm. It wasn't far away and as Bella dropped her head back again, the slightest tingle of pleasure built in her toes and began rocketing up her legs at a pace that forced her eyes wide open. The next gasp to escape her mouth was one of shock.

From her perch atop his desk, with her head thrown back, she could just make out a sliver of light coming from the hallway through his opened office door. Her mind reeled, trying to recall if she'd closed it on her way in and that's when she saw him. One of the behemoths that had been sitting next to her at dinner was in the doorway. Only a few inches of his face were visible in the small space, as if he'd started to enter but stopped when the door was open just enough to see what was going on.

"Edward!" Bella hissed.

She tugged on his hair, trying to pry his mouth from her. Or hold him there, her hand was just as confused as her brain was. Because while this whole encounter was unexpected and Bella typically craved privacy in intimate situations, something about the silent man's eyes on her was making her heart race.

"Edward," she called again and this time he looked up.

He was on his feet in an instant, jaw tight and lips unmistakably wet with her arousal. His threatening stare shot from the door to her and his mouth softened ever so slightly. Bella reached for the man now towering over her and cupped a hand over the hard bulge at his crotch. The guttural moan that followed was only matched by the darkening of his eyes.

"Does that turn you on?" He spoke low and rough.

Bella's fingers sought purchase on Edward's trapped cock through his dress pants and when his fingers reached from her thighs toward her dripping center, she bit her lip and nodded. Edward groaned again and eased her back to lie on the desk with a searing kiss. His hands trailed over the soft fabric of her dress, her aroused nipples hard beneath, as he brought his lips to her ear.

"Then get ready to come," he spoke between kisses.

His mouth left her neck, hands dragging down from her breasts to push her skirt up. When his mouth touched her this time, there were no slow and gentle licks. Edward devoured her. Driving his tongue in, he stroked at her inner walls, twisting and reaching and searching for that elusive orgasm.

Bella's gaze sought out the watchful eyes from the hall at the same moment Edward's fingers pinched at her clit. She cried out and saw a flicker of light. Whoever he was, he'd moved. Didn't leave but moved. The idea that she might be turning him on was intoxicating. That he could watch and listen but not touch. He couldn't have her but could dream of having her. Touch himself as he thought of her.

Grasping for Edward's head, Bella's legs clamped around him as her stomach lifted and flipped. A wave of pleasure rode down from her chest and up from her toes until it finally crashed in a glorious explosion against Edward's tongue. A scream fell from her lips in gasping breaths as he lapped at her, prolonging each spasm until another wave rolled through her body.

The office door creaked and only then did Bella realize her eyes were closed. Opening them she saw the door was now closed. Their mysterious audience vanished. Closing her eyes again, Bella relished the myriad of sensations flooding through her body. The trembling and pulsing and quavering all focused to a single point where Edward's mouth was dutifully bringing her back down to earth.

His hands soothed the length of her thighs and up her torso to mold her breasts. When he finally withdrew his mouth, he smoothed her dress back down, dragging his hands down the length of her legs before standing. Hooked around his finger were her panties and he twirled them playfully while smiling down at her.

"I think I'll keep these," he said.

"What about me?" Bella murmured blissfully.

"I think I'll keep you too."

The dark desire in his eyes didn't quite match the devilishly crooked grin on his lips. And it was that odd dichotomy of dangerous and debonair that lured her in.

EPOV

Edward extended his hand to the goddess laid out all over his desk. The damn thing never looked better than when it was covered with a gorgeous brunette instead of paperwork and responsibilities. When her hand slipped into his, Edward's cock throbbed. It was a painful reminder of just how much more he wanted of her.

Up until the moment she'd walked into his kitchen, Bella Swan was a problem to be handled. The key to getting his father back on his feet and behind the desk. Once he convinced her to join them in their fast retreat to the family estate he figured he was done with her. But even their brief conversation in the kitchen had left him wanting more. Now that he'd tasted her there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. At least not for the foreseeable future. How convenient that she agreed to stay in his family's house for the next three weeks.

Hoisting her up from the desk, Edward swept her into his arms. A bright burst of laughter spilled from her lips as her arms wrapped around his neck. The sound softened something hard in his heart and his arms tightened around her. He wasn't used to being soft. She smiled up at him and bit the corner of her lip like she was about to launch into twenty questions about what happened next. But Edward didn't want to talk about sleeping arrangements or the conflict between business and pleasure or what would happen after the next three weeks. He didn't want to talk at all.

He captured her mouth, sucking at her lips and then sliding his tongue in and against hers. She moaned and his cock throbbed in response. Knocking his chair back and out of the way, Edward made his way across the room toward a hidden door in the back corner of the room. The same door that led to his bedroom.

Edward entered the room with far less finesse than usual, slamming the door into the wall before kicking it shut behind him and swiveling to press Bella back against the sturdy wooden surface. His hips rocked between hers. With a gasping breath, she broke away from his lips.

"Edward," she whispered.

He lavished dozens of kisses along the length of her neck all while enjoying the way her body fit perfectly against his. With her legs wrapped around him, she held him close.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"My room," Edward answered between kisses.

"So, there's a bed?"

Edward grunted and pulled back from her neck to press his forehead against hers. "I'll take you against the door and the wall of my shower and out on the fucking balcony if I want."

Bella needed to know who she was dealing with. Edward Cullen wasn't boyfriend material. He was good for a quick fuck and nothing more.

"What about what I want?" Bella asked, a challenge glinting in her eyes.

He dipped his mouth to hers again and drew back before her tongue reached his. "I know exactly what you want."

The rock of his hips was anything but subtle.

"And what is that?" Bella asked despite the gasp she failed to hide.

He brought his mouth to her ear, licking there as his voice came across low and rough. "To get good and fucked."

Any one of the whimpers and moans spilling forth from Bella's lips might have done him in but it was the wet heat between her legs that urged him on. She rocked against his trapped erection like she was trying to scale his body and he was sure her arousal was dampening the front of his pants. He growled and moaned and pressed harder against her.

"And if I want to be watched again…" The quiet curiosity in her voice belied the utter debauchery of her question.

Edward brought a rough hand down to snatch at the fabric of her skirt. It was one layer too many and with it out of the way, he glanced down to watch her wet folds spread over the thick ridge in his pants. Finally, he looked up and recalled the look on her face when she realized they had company. It wasn't much different from how she looked now. Breathless with anticipation and if the rosy pink hue coloring her cheeks was any indication, excited at the prospect of something new.

"I can arrange for that if you like." The thought of watching Bella explore her sexuality was making him harder than he thought possible. "But no one else touches you."

"There you go making more demands," she teased.

"And it turns you on," Edward replied.

He pried one of her hands from around his neck and brought it down to his pants. Her gaze followed and she tucked her fingertips into his waistband. Edward stepped back just enough to allow her to legs to unhook from his back so she could lower her feet to the floor.

"Take me out, Bella."

Her gaze shot to his eyes for a second before returning to the task at hand. Literally. She unfastened his pants and slipped her hand in to wrap around his cock. Edward hissed and clenched his jaw. If the lightest touch from her hand almost did him in, how would he ever stand to be buried inside of her?

"Bed. Now." He yanked her hand free and held tight to her wrist as he led her across the room.

Depositing her on the bed with a bounce, he retrieved a condom from his nightstand and turned to face her. The bed was high. High enough that she could be lip-level with his straining cock if she were lying down, her head tipped back over the edge. Edward closed his eyes tight. Images of her mouth wrapped around him assaulted his senses, forcing his eyes open. He would have her mouth later.

Pushing his pants down, Edward kicked off his shoes and allowed the rest of his clothes to follow. Stepping away from the heap on the floor, he stalked toward Bella who scrambled to her knees, backing away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Edward climbed onto the bed, kneeling in front of her.

The hard curve of his cock jutted towards her, drawing her gaze as it swayed each time he moved. A strangling sense of pressure forced a thin stream of precum to leak from him and he smeared it along his cock before rolling the condom on.

"For a ride," Bella answered. She placed a small hand to his chest and pushed.

Maybe if she'd put some effort behind it she might've moved him but Edward got the hint and laid down anyway.

"It's your turn to lay down," she explained.

The sight of her crawling over his lap and lifting her dress was a beautiful thing. When she was within arm's reach, Edward reached for the loose neckline of her top and pulled it down. Her perfect breasts were exposed with that one simple move, no bra to contend with. Her nipples strained toward him and he obliged by rolling them with his thumbs.

Bella lifted to her knees and grabbed hold of his cock, those hands sending shockwaves through him once again. She guided him to the warmth of her folds and slipped down over him, bowing toward him once he was all the way in. He took the opportunity to lavish her breasts with sucking kisses and generous licks, remembering how sweet she tasted when she fell apart on his tongue and relishing the opportunity to have his cock bathed in the same sweetness.

Edward thrust hard, lifting Bella from the bed as he set a pace that sent her hips rolling atop him. The tightness that surrounded him was almost too much to bear. Her breasts bounced with each move and Edward brought his hands down to splay over her thighs. Pushing at her skirt, he watched his cock sink into her on each thrust, groaning despite himself. His cock was slick with her, the wetness spreading to where her hips fell each time he drove back into her.

"You want someone else to see this?" Edward asked in a tight voice. He had to admit, the idea had merit. "Let someone see how much I turn you on? How wet you are for me? Watch my cock slide into you?"

Bella leaned over him, her hands pressed against his chest and her lips on his. "Your big, thick cock."

"Damn right," he growled.

"Let them see what they can't have," she continued.

"Fuck," Edward swore. "Ride me hard, Bella."

She smiled at his command and sat back up. Dragging her hands up to cup her breasts, she rolled her hips and lifted off him. When she lowered down, her inner walls clutched at his cock, squeezing and tugging mercilessly. She repeated the move, harder and faster each time. Edward moved his hips up to meet her, grunting with each driving push.

Bella brought a finger to her mouth and sucked it between her lips, barely stifling a cry. And then the spasms around his cock grew more intense as she released her finger with a scream.

Edward swore and clutched at her hips, letting her draw his cock in, urging his orgasm to burst forth with surprising speed. Twitching and jerking within her, a fine sheen of sweat covered Edward's bare chest where Bella's hands had fallen.

Finally, she collapsed onto him. Edward groaned as his cock slipped from her and he wrapped his arms around her petite frame. They were breathing hard and soon their gasps fell in sync with one another. Edward stripped the condom off and stared up at the ceiling, his mind following the intricate pattern carved there. Echoes of pleasure swirled through his bloodstream.

Bella shifted beside him and Edward's grip on her tightened reflexively. He wasn't usually the type to hold a woman in bed long after the orgasm faded.

 _Maybe I just want another one_ , Edward reasoned with himself.

"What's this?" Bella asked, tracing a finger along his forearm.

Edward turned his palm up, revealing the underside of his arm to her. "The Celtic Wolf."

She stroked his arm. His heart raced the longer she examined the dark blue lines of his tattoo. "What does it mean?"

"A lot of things," Edward said. "But mostly… family."

"You're close with your family."

It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement and Edward nodded in response. Bella turned her attention back to his tattoo and he watched her intense scrutiny of an act of teenage rebellion that had come to mean more than he could've ever expected. A fringe of hair fell over her shoulder and brushed against his chest. It also managed to cover her exposed breasts, a problem Edward was determined to resolve as soon as he regained feeling in his extremities.

"How is it that you're still dressed?" Edward's question drew Bella's gaze back to his face.

She glanced down and then smiled back up at him. "I'm sure you'll find a way to fix that."

Edward smiled back, just one corner of his mouth up to the task. With some effort, he lifted a hand to brush her hair back over her ear. The reappearance of her nipples was a welcome sight. He brought his hand to her shoulder and eased the strap down. With a light laugh, Bella shrugged out of both straps and pushed the dress down past her waist. She lifted to her knees and shimmied it down further. An act too good to miss. Edward lifted his head to gaze at her naked body.

"What happened to Jasper?"

The soft curls at Bella's center were glistening and Edward licked his lips. He needed her mouth wrapped around his cock but desperately wanted to taste her again. Maybe a little sixty-nine action was in order.

"Edward?" Bella's body shifted to stretch out along the bed, her hand falling to his stomach.

His hand covered hers, finally looking up to her eyes as she spoke his name again. "Yeah."

"Jasper," Bella repeated. "I haven't seen him here at all. He brought your father to all of his appointments, I just wondered where-"

"He's been let go." Edward cut her off. "Why?" A dark undercurrent seeped into his voice and from the look on Bella's face, she noticed.

"No reason," she said, dropping her eyes to his chest. "He was just nice, that's all. I figured he was a nephew or cousin or something. The way he was with your father. Plus I think my friend Alice had a little thing for him."

Edward directed his gaze back up to the ceiling. The sting of betrayal still fresh. It wasn't easy to forget things like that but for most of the night, he had. Somehow being around Bella, he could compartmentalize things a little better. It was a skill his father had mastered long ago but for Edward, a man who had no interest in following in his father's footsteps, it didn't come as easily.

With a light touch to her chin, Edward forced her gaze back to his. "He was nice." Edward tried not to picture Jasper's bruised eye and split lip. "It just didn't work out."

Pulling her toward him, Edward placed a soft kiss to her lips that remained chaste for only so long. When she opened her mouth to him on a moan, he drove his tongue in and rolled her to her side. Stroking the slim length of her body, his hand spread up and over her breast.

The sounds she was making were almost loud enough to mask the knocking at the door. And while Edward was confident in his ability to get Bella screaming loud enough to drown them out completely, he only had so many condoms.

"What?" he growled in the direction of the door.

"Boss, I've got Rose on the phone." Came a muffled voice.

"Goddammit." Edward nearly missed the flicker of uncertainty that passed through Bella's eyes as he rolled off the bed. "My sister," he reassured Bella as he strode the door.

Opening the door just enough to glare out at Emmett, Edward spoke through clenched teeth. "What the fuck does she want?"

"It's Jasper," Emmett mumbled. He wasn't the most eloquent in the best of times but right now he looked like someone had broken his favorite toy.

"I took care of Jasper," Edward seethed. There was a gorgeous, naked woman in the room behind him that was far more important than listening to Rose bitch about how Edward should've done more than give him a black eye.

Emmett shook his head. "That's just it, Boss. Rose called to tell you Jasper is dead."

Edward let the door fall open another inch. "What?"

Now Emmett nodded. "Said his body was found floating in the Quileute River a couple of hours ago."

"Shit." Edward ran his hand through his hair and started to close the door before realizing Emmett was still standing there. "Okay, Em."

"Boss…" Emmett spoke before the door fully closed. Edward looked up into the sad eyes of his father's right hand man. "…she said to tell you 'good work.'"

Edward clutched at the door, the hard edge biting into his palm and he wanted nothing more than to sooth it away against the soft warmth of Bella's body. Emmett ducked his head and turned to walk away.

"Emmett," Edward called after him. "Next time, knock."

"Boss?" Emmett's attempt at feigned innocence was a complete failure. It was all the proof Edward needed that it had been Emmett in the office doorway earlier. With a sheepish bow, Emmett mumbled an apology.

Edward nodded and gripped the doorknob in a tight grasp. "And Emmett? Don't call me boss."

 **A/N: Encouragement in the form of reviews is always welcome. ;) Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ready for round two?! I'm so grateful for all the great reviews and hope you are all excited to continue the journey with Bella and her Mobward. Remember my personal MO is at least one lemon per chapter, so get ready for some fun. ;)**

BPOV

The morning air was cooler than Bella's expected when she stepped outside just a few minutes shy of dawn. Lifting her shoulders against a gust of wind, she frowned down at her phone.

 _Of course, it's cooler. The damn weather app hasn't updated since yesterday._

For all the spectacular features of the Cullen Estate, its wifi signal was seriously lacking. Closing out the weather app in favor of her favorite mileage tracker, Bella clicked start and slipped her phone into the waistband pouch that also held her ID and started running.

Bella usually had a plan in place when she laced up for a run in a new area. Google local running routes, check out some area maps, determine where the hell she was. Sleeping with her sort of boss until her alarm went off at quarter of five and rousing her from what little sleep she actually got wasn't exactly status quo. Considering the circumstances, Bella might've hit snooze and gone back to bed. Only the bed she was in wasn't hers. It wasn't even the one assigned to her when she arrived at the Cullen Estate. Nope. She was quite comfortably nestled against the muscled torso of one Edward Cullen, who just so happened to be comatose from their frantic late night acrobatics. He didn't budge as she slipped from the bed and then somehow miraculously found the room with her luggage in it.

Edward had made it clear he wasn't interested in talking much beyond the dirty phrases he was so good at conjuring and Bella needed some time to think. There were consequences to every action and even before she fell into his bed – or onto his desk – she knew sleeping with him would only complicate the very simple task she had been assigned: get Carlisle back on his feet so he could dance the foxtrot with his wife in three weeks. Then again maybe nothing had changed. She and Edward both had work to do while they were here and one had nothing to do with the other. So what if they were living under the same roof? It was a pretty big roof. There were no guarantees they would even see each other again in the time she was there.

A tight knot twisted in Bella's stomach and she lifted her eyes to the tall trees that lined the winding driveway. The top branches swayed in the breeze and while the trunks remained firm and steady, they weren't quite big enough to shield Bella from the wind as it cut between them. Steadying herself against the buffeting gusts, Bella dug in deeper to the pebbled path that she estimated to be at least two miles long. She had a vague recollection of the remote and rural roads leading up to the estate and figured she'd run a straight out and back. That might get her a good four miles or so and with any luck, a little cell phone reception as well. If a run wasn't enough to clear her thoughts, a chat with Alice always did the trick. At the very least, the little spitfire would want all the dirty details of the night before and Bella was more than happy to oblige.

EPOV

Edward dreamt of sliding into Bella's sweet warmth before even opening his eyes and was disappointed to find his bed empty when he finally stumbled out of sleep to reach for her. A frown settled on his face as he replayed his last conscious memory. It wasn't all that different from the one in his dreams. He dropped his head back onto his pillow with a groan. Everything about Bella Swan was unpredictable. Even their meeting should never have happened. If only Jasper hadn't been a traitor. The memory of Jasper's betrayal and everything that followed it soured his morning further. Getting Bella back in his bed was solved easily enough. The whole business with Jasper was anything but easy. And the last thing he wanted to think about. Which naturally was exactly what he needed to do.

A quick glance at the clock had Edward wondering just how early Bella had gotten up. It was barely past five. Then again, she wasn't the only early riser around here. Edward would bet a generous sum that Emmett was already waiting in the adjoining office to discuss the events that led to Jasper's untimely death.

Slipping on a pair of sweatpants, he decided to forgo any additional clothing. He'd shower later, after he'd had a much-needed workout. Of course, whether that workout would consist of a round with the punching bag and free weights in the estate's gym or an equally exhaustive round of cardio with Bella remained to be seen. Either way, Edward was dressed for the occasion.

"Boss." Emmett stood when Edward walked through the door and took his seat only after Edward.

"What do we know, Em?" His desk was void of papers. Which was odd, because he had a very distinct memory of scattering documents all over the place last night. With a surreptitious glance to the floor – which was also free of papers – Edward reasoned that Emmett took it upon himself to tidy up.

The one thing that was on his desk was a blank manila envelope. The same one Emmett pointed to now. "Got these about ten minutes ago."

Nothing good ever came in an envelope like that. Nothing. Edward had grown up watching his dad get handing envelopes just like it and they were always followed by a curt nod and sometimes a whisper in one of his goon's ears or worse, a sudden closed-door meeting. Like the one that happened ten minutes into opening Christmas presents one year when Edward was just six. He didn't see his father until after dinner that night.

He eyed the package, counting as he took in a slow and measured breath. Exhaling to the same count he tried to ignore the tension rolling off Emmett. He was like a coil ready to spring or worse, snap. Edward lifted the envelope from his desk and popped the clasp on the back. If anyone had looked at its contents before him they covered their tracks well. The flap was sealed tight, not so much as a wrinkle to the corners. Tearing a neat slice across the end of the envelope, Edward tilted it until the pictures slid out into his hand.

BPOV

Bella slowed to a jog and finally a walk as she pulled her phone from its secure pouch around her waist. The signal was weak but a hell of a lot better than it was back at the house. Glancing at the time she saw that she'd been running for about twenty minutes.

 _Nothing says denial like literally running away from the man you spent the night with,_ she thought.

Pulling up Alice's number, she clicked the call button and held her breath as she waited for it to ring. She paced in wide strides for a few feet before turning and retracing her steps. She didn't want to wander any farther away from the estate but didn't want to enter the wifi deadzone again either.

"It. Is. Too. Fucking. Eaaaaaarlyyyyyyyy." Alice moaned.

"Good morning to you too, sweetie," Bella said with a laugh.

"This better be good, B. First, I get saddled with all your clients for the next month and then you call me at the asscrack of dawn on a Saturday."

Bella rolled her eyes at Alice's slight exaggeration. There were three physical therapists, in addition to Alice, pitching in to help with Bella's clients. "If it's any consolation I didn't get much sleep either."

There was a frantic rustling on the other end of the line and Bella could just imagine Alice scrambling to sit up and gather her wits. If anyone was an expert in reading between the lines, it was Alice.

"Who? Who could you have possibly slept with? I thought you were babysitting the old man."

"Alice," Bella scolded. "I'm not babysitting anyone."

"No. But you are boning someone. Now spill it."

Bella could just picture Alice, sleep mask shoved atop her head, short dark hair an adorable mess and that mischievous smirk curling her lips.

"Was it Jasper? It was Jasper, wasn't it? Jesus, B, you knew I thought he was cute. You wouldn't do that to me. Did you? It was him, right?"

Bella laughed at her friend's frantic and completely one-sided argument. "No, it wasn't Jasper, Alice." She frowned, recalling the one semi-serious conversation she had with Edward last night. "Actually, I haven't seen him at all."

"Goody, I call dibs," Alice announced. "Now, who?"

Bella continued her elliptical track but picked up the pace. It was damn cold now that she was sweaty and the wind hadn't let up. "Okay, so his name is Edward and he's Carlisle's son."

"Holy lack of professionalism, Bella."

"So it was a total mistake then, huh?" Bella sighed.

Alice hummed over the tenuous cell signal. "That depends. How was he?"

Bella groaned. It was hard enough to forget just how well her body reacted to his without actually talking about it.

"That good, huh?" Alice's grin was plain in her voice.

"Too good, Al. Too good." Bella shuffled along, watching the pebbles scatter in the wake of her stride. "And clearly it was a one-time thing. I mean, it has to be. Right?"

"Question. Were you two getting it on in the middle of a session with dear old dad?"

"Ew, Alice. No. Of course not."

"So the old man was just watching then?"

Bella blushed at the implication. There was nothing remotely sexy about the idea of Carlisle watching them but clearly she wasn't opposed to someone else watching. Up until last night she never thought she had any exhibitionist tendencies. Just the memory of that shadowy figure – too tall and wide to be Carlisle, thank god – set a flurry of butterflies lose in her stomach.

"Alice," Bella warned. "Don't be ridiculous."

"That's a two-way street you're talking about, Bella." Alice huffed. "None of that is any more ridiculous than the idea that you shouldn't sleep with whomever the fuck you want to sleep with."

Leave it to Alice to seamlessly blend impeccable grammar and blatant cursing so eloquently.

"I slept in his bed, Alice. As in, all night." Even as Bella protested, she had to wonder why she was trying so hard to be guilt-ridden over what she'd done. It wasn't like she was a prude or strict opponent of one-night stands.

 _Maybe this didn't feel like a one-night stand,_ her subconscious nagged.

Alice snickered. "No, you didn't. You didn't sleep at all." Her singsong delivery was enough to bring a smile to Bella's face.

Another gust of wind cut through the trees, reminding Bella just how slow she was puttering along as she tried to maintain a decent cell signal. She was growing colder by the second and as much as she loved Alice, she wasn't about to catch a cold on her behalf.

"So again, I ask for details. Let's start with how many orgasms Edward's magic cock bestowed upon you…"

Now that was just the topic of conversation to combat the relentless and chilling gusts but for some reason the last thing Bella wanted to do was divulge the details of her hook up. Lengthening her stride, she turned back in the direction of the house and listened as Alice's voice cut out intermittently.

"Alice? I think I'm losing you." Bella wasn't going to be able to run much longer with the phone in hand, not at the pace she was going.

"Bella you little shit- better not- with me- I will not-" Mid-rant the call was dropped.

Bella offered a sheepish grin to the universe and vowed to beg Alice for forgiveness later. In the meantime, she had a client waiting and a job to focus on. She started running down a mental list of work she wanted to get done with Carlisle today. Bella had hoped to get him outside for a walk but with the way the wind was picking up she didn't want to subject him to any falls. He'd made great strides in improving his balance and the last thing she wanted was a setback.

The estate appeared far in the distance and the trees grew closer together for the next hundred feet or so. It was the one portion of the route that allowed her some reprieve from the tempermental New England weather. The canopy that formed overhead blotted out the sky. Between the winds and the clouds that appeared to be rolling in, Bella had to wonder if there was a storm brewing. It was eerily quiet among the dense but brief patch of forest.

A sudden crack broke the silence. In its wake, a frenzy followed. Birds lifted from the trees in great, undulating waves. The sound a hundred birds or more made must have been loud but Bella heard little more than faint, echoing screeches. Her ears felt as though she were submerged underwater. There was a cushion of silence pressing in on her and she shook her head, trying to clear it. Her steps barely faltered as her heartrate picked up. Beneath her curious disorientation, a murmur of panic was growing. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. Tree branches shook and leaves shuddered and the sense that something was terribly wrong was becoming harder to ignore.

Digging her feet into the ground, she propelled herself forward. The estate loomed larger the faster she ran and another whip of sharp wind cracked past her. She couldn't even hear her footfall but knew it must be loud. The spray of tiny pebbles stung against her legs and she didn't stop, didn't even slow down until she had burst through the front door of the Cullen Estate and barreled straight into Emmett.

EPOV

Edward readied his fists for another round of misplaced frustration when a commotion in the hall snapped him out of his zone. The door burst open and Emmett rushed in, Bella wrapped up in his arms. Every ounce of anger that Edward had been channeling toward the poor punching bag seized in his chest.

"What the hell is going on?" He thundered at Emmett as he extracted Bella from his arms.

Instead of taking her in his own, like he wanted to do, Edward kept a firm grip on her upper arm and held her at an arm's length. She looked startled and shaken and Edward knew if he looked at her any longer he would do something irrational. Whether that something was kiss her or punch a hole in the wall, he wasn't entirely sure.

"I don't know," Emmett replied. "I was about to head out to take care- um, to do those errands…"

 _Subtle, Emmett. Real subtle._

"And?" Edward pressed. He was aware of how tightly he was holding Bella's arm but couldn't seem to convince his hand to let go.

"She just came running in. Like really running. Something spooked her."

Edward turned to Bella. Emmett's implication was clear to Edward. Which is exactly why Edward needed to know what happened. The images he'd seen earlier in his office came to mind again, as he knew they would for the rest of his life. It didn't make sense that someone would target a hired goon and then his father's physical therapist but it wasn't out of the question either. After all, Jasper and Bella both had one thing in common. They worked for the Cullens.

"Bella?" Edward grasped her other arm and soothed his thumbs against her cool skin. "What happened? Are you okay?"

She shook her head and brought a hand up to rub against her ear. "I-I can hardly hear you." She was practically shouting and she rubbed harder against the side of her head. "There was like a loud bang or something and it just felt like… I don't know…"

Edward wasn't sure if her inability to hear was adding to her confusion but he had no idea what she was talking about. None of that mattered when he could feel her shaking beneath his grip. Her voice was not only loud but steady. She didn't sound shaken but sure as hell looked it.

"Bella," Edward called a little louder as he placed his hands on either side of her head. He needed her to look at him. "You're okay. Bella, you're okay."

When her eyes finally locked on his, something deep within Edward's chest clenched at the fear in her eyes. She was hiding it well but she was scared. Her lips quivered just once when she opened her mouth to whisper his name. The naked fear in her voice nearly tore him apart.

"What happened?" He leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. Her hearing must've been returning because she responded quickly.

"I thought it was just the wind but that sound… it was just so loud and I felt something go past me. It was almost like a-"

"North American barn owl."

Edward, Bella and Emmett turned toward the deep voice. It was Carlisle. The older gentleman stood in the doorway of the home gym looking every bit the boss he was. He held himself in such a way that you almost didn't notice the cane in his right hand. It was a feature Edward had grown so used to in the past few months that it was easy to overlook. Something less easy to overlook? The odd smile on his father's face.

The man took a slow step into the room and repeated himself, his smile only growing. "It was a North American barn owl."

Bella tugged on her ear. "An owl?"

Carlisle nodded and offered her that strange smile. Edward couldn't ever recall seeing his father smile in such a way. Or at all really. "There's been a nest on the property ever since I was a young boy. They usually hunt in the stretch of trees along the drive."

Edward wasn't sure what kind of game his father was playing at but not only had Edward never seen an owl at the estate, he knew for a fact that Carlisle never saw one there either. They only bought the mansion five years ago.

BPOV

Work was as good a distraction as always. In fact, Bella forgot all about the fact that she hadn't showered and changed since her morning run or had anything to eat. However, her stomach gladly clued her in towards the end of her hour working with Carlisle.

"It sounds like someone missed breakfast this morning," he called from the treadmill. "I'm afraid you've learned my dirty little secret. I'm a terrible host."

Bella smiled at him from where she stood making notes on his progress. "Hardly. I'm pretty sure there's an authentic Renoir in my room."

Carlisle laughed and just shook his head. "A lot of good a picture of food will do you."

"Well you're in luck then, Mr. Cullen. Time's up." She walked over and glanced at the readout on the treadmill, marking the information down in her notes. "You are all done for this morning. I understand you have a message therapist coming in a couple of hours?"

He nodded as she pressed the stop button and he stepped carefully onto the side rails.

"Perfect. I'll be sure to get myself something to eat, you enjoy that massage and then we can get in some stretching later this afternoon."

She handed Carlisle his cane and offered her arm as he stepped down from the treadmill. Once he was back on solid ground, he frowned playfully in Bella's direction. "Food and a massage sound great but I'm not so sure about the stretching…"

"What about doing the foxtrot with your wife?"

Mr. Cullen sighed in mock defeat and gestured to the large screen television mounted on the wall. "Only if I can watch the fight while you inflict your torture upon me."

Bella glanced from the tv to the framed photos that lined the space. Each one a large black and white print of a mid-fight throw and it wasn't until Bella really looked at them that she noticed a lack of gloves and an abundance of tattoos.

"Mixed martial arts?" She asked, turning to Carlisle.

"More than just a guilty pleasure, I'm afraid." Carlisle raised a hand, speaking conspiratorially behind it in a loud stage whisper. "Cullen Corps boasts the top five fighters in the world."

Bella wasn't overly familiar with the world of mixed martial arts but had heard of the Cullen Corps and until that moment hadn't connected the name with that of her client. The Cullen Corps was known for recruiting the best athletes around, fighters or not, and employing only the most-advanced training techniques to get them in top condition. She took a step toward one of the photos, squinting as she really looked at it for the first time, only to have Carlisle appear at her side and grasp her elbow in hand.

"I suppose Mrs. Cullen would be very disappointed if her shopping spree were futile."

Bella answered his smile with one of her own and walked Carlisle to the door where he squeezed her arm once before letting go. "You haven't met my darling Esme yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

"And you won't until she's hit every store on the eastern seaboard." He spoke with such affection, Bella couldn't wait to meet his other half. She was sure they were ridiculously adorable together.

Once she was done assuring Carlisle she would help herself to anything in the kitchen – and inform Emmett if there was anything else she required – Bella was left alone with her thoughts as she disinfected and replaced the equipment they'd used.

Carlisle had woven an impressive tale regarding the family of owls that have long lived on the property. It was full of just the right amount of mild suspense and youthful sentimentality that it could've come straight from the screenplay of an Oscar-award winning coming-of-age film.

 _Which is precisely the sort of thing Alice would say_ , Bella scolded herself. It wasn't like her to question someone's honesty. Especially not a man as kind and genial as Carlisle Cullen. He'd been nothing but generous. And while his son's methods of persuasion were less gentle, they were clearly well meaning. Edward cared about his father, that much was obvious. So why couldn't Bella shake the feeling that something was off about Carlisle's owl story?

It was gut instinct that told her it hadn't been an owl. So then what was it? The longer she thought about it… the sound, the rush of heat just past her skin, the deafening silence that followed… anything she considered seemed more Hollywood than rural Connecticut. Which was exactly why work was good for her and too much time alone with her thoughts wasn't.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were still in here." Edward's gruff voice cut through Bella's thoughts and she turned, startled.

He rushed over to help pick up the medicine balls she'd been carrying. They bounced and rolled around the space and Bella laughed as he scrambled after them.

"It isn't funny," Edward complained good-naturedly. "How did you even carry all of these?"

He was wrong. It was pretty damn funny. But growing decidedly less so the longer she watched him run around in nothing but grey sweatpants that hung dangerously low on his hips. She could make out the muscular shape of his thighs beneath the fabric and found it hard to keep her eyes from staring at his perfect ass every time he bent over.

When he finally stood and turned to face her with four of the balls precariously perched in his arms, Bella tried her best to school her expression. The slight lift to the corner of his mouth told Bella her attempt at 'there's-no-way-I-was-staring-at-your-ass' face was a complete failure. She tossed the fifth ball to him and watched the panic rush across his face just seconds before all of them went rolling away again.

"Years of practice," Bella finally said. "In fact, it was part of my final exams."

She scooped three of the balls into her arms and rolled a fourth with her foot, allowing Edward to follow her with the fifth ball in hand. Replacing them neatly onto their rack against the wall, Bella was aware of Edward's presence just behind her. He was standing close. Close enough for her to smell his earthy masculinity and feel the heat radiating from his skin. In other words, too close and not close enough all at the same time.

Edward reached around her to put the ball back and when she turned he didn't move.

"Were you trying to avoid me this morning?" He asked.

A blooming heat rose on her cheeks and she wasn't sure if it was because he called her on sneaking out or brought to mind all that had preceded the morning. After all, both were blush-inducing in their own special way. "I always start my day with a run."

Edward leaned close, keeping just a breath of distance between them. "You didn't get enough exercise last night?"

The heat in her cheeks traveled down to her chest and beyond, making it difficult to answer him. If she spoke honestly she'd end up following him back to his bedroom. And if she lied… well, lying wasn't her style.

Instead of forcing her to choose, Edward stepped back. Along with the sudden space, Bella's sense of humor returned and she smiled up at Edward. "I don't know. I wasn't wearing my FitBit."

It was disconcerting to get so muddled in his presence. Then again, along with the confusion came the racing pulse of lust and heat that was a pretty even trade as far as Bella was concerned. It should matter to her that Edward see her as the intelligent and kind woman that she was and not whatever she turned into whenever he touched her but orgasms had a way of making her not care.

Edward chuckled and nodded his concession. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No," Bella said. "And everyone's suddenly very concerned about that."

"What can I say? We're a hospitable family." Edward lifted a shoulder, the rounded muscles there flexing with the movement.

"I'm not so sure about that." Bella raised an eyebrow to mirror his shrug.

Edward cracked a grin. "Have you seen your room?"

"I can't find my room." Bella laughed with a cringe because it had taken her longer than it should've to find it this morning. "And I kind of need a shower."

"Well then, follow me." He said as he held the door open for her. She stepped through and then hung back, allowing him to lead the way. When they reached the first flight of stairs to the main level of the house, Edward grabbed hold of her hand and glanced back with a smile. "Just in case," he teased.

She laughed and nearly stumbled up the stairs after him. Those long legs of his took the steps twice as fast as hers. And then there was the perfect view of his ass as she followed him. At the first landing, Edward called down to Emmett who emerged from somewhere unseen. "Emmett, could you arrange to have something to eat brought up to Ms. Swan's room?" Edward shot Bella a wicked grin. "Make it something healthy."

EPOV

Edward knew which room was Bella's because it was the first place he looked for her after his morning meeting with Emmett. He'd been pleased to see they'd given her one of the larger suites and yet disappointed to find her not in it. That was about to change. He let go of her hand and gestured her toward the open door.

He didn't wait for an invitation, following her into the room and closing the door behind him. She turned and planted a hand on her hip.

"So tell me… why is everyone so hellbent on keeping me distracted?"

Edward stilled. It was as though Bella had stripped back the heavy armor Edward had been taught to wear since childhood like it was nothing more than tissue paper. For a second he wondered just how much she saw. Did she see what his family was? What he was? And yet the soft curl to her lips wasn't the sort of reaction Edward expected from someone who had it all figured out. Smiles didn't come that easy once you'd seen bloody photos of a former employee. A deceased employee. Mimicking her small smile, Edward took a step toward Bella and let his hand ghost the curve of her hip.

"Am I distracting you?" He couldn't keep the growl out of his voice. She did that to him. Dragged his thoughts and his blood flow down below the belt with little more than a glance.

Bella blinked slowly, only to intensify her stare when she reopened her eyes. "You all are. Your father with his ridiculous owl story-"

Edward's expression remained blank but his mind raced. Obviously, he knew it was a load of bullshit when he heard it but it wasn't often that Carlisle couldn't snow complete strangers.

"-and now you, in here, supposedly helping me to my room." She placed air quotes around the last two words. "What's going on, Edward?"

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything. How he didn't want the responsibilities of running the family and its morally-compromised business. What had happened to Jasper and how he feared for his father's life, paradoxically worried about what would happen when Carlisle died and what would happen while he was still alive. And yet her not knowing would keep her alive. If Edward was correct in thinking that whatever flew past Bella this morning had far less feathers than metal, her life was already in danger. So, she did need to be distracted. It was best for her to focus on her job and get as far away from this family as soon as possible.

"Maybe _I_ need a good distraction," he said, honestly.

Bella crossed her arms. "And I need a shower."

"Hmm," Edward hummed and leaned in to kiss her neck. His lips parted and he tasted the skin there, its slightly salty aftertaste from her run this morning. "Okay."

He pulled back and was rewarded by a disappointed gasp. He quickly stole her breath again as he swept her into his arms and stalked toward the adjoining bathroom. She squealed and clung to his neck. The exposed skin of his upper body and torso stung with a searing heat everywhere they were touching.

Wasting no time, Edward dropped Bella to her feet just outside the shower and turned it on so that all four showerheads rained down inside the cavernous stall. He kept a firm hand around her waist the whole time and turned when she exhaled a drawn out, "Damn."

"My thoughts exactly." He fingered the hem of her shirt and leaned in for another kiss.

Her mouth was frantic on his. It appeared to answer any lingering questions she might have about needing a distraction. Their tongues tangled in a breathless frenzy and Edward pulled away only to divest Bella of her shirt. Once it hit the ground, his mouth crashed back onto hers. Bella's hands grappled at his shoulders and stroked down his chest until they came to rest at the waistband of his sweats.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said as he pulled back. "I'm here to distract you. Remember?"

Bella reached for him again. "And I thought you said you needed a distraction too."

He caught her by the wrist and held her at bay. "A quick fuck isn't going to solve anything."

"Who said anything about quick?" Bella bit the corner of her lip playfully.

Edward leaned down, pressing his forward against hers. "You touch me and it won't just be quick, it'll be over before we get started."

Bella removed her hand from his grip and pulled back to cross her arms. Edward shamelessly watched how the move lifted her breasts, producing a mouth-watering display of cleavage. Her sports bra had to go.

"So it appears we're at a stalemate," Bella replied.

"No," Edward corrected. "You're on a touching ban and I'm on a mission."

He didn't wait for whatever playful remark she had to make. Edward carefully pulled the sports bra over her head and forced his hands to remove her shorts before getting distracted by all the excitingly naked possibilities on the way. And in no time at all she stood before him, free of clothes and ready for a shower.

Grasping her by the waist, Edward claimed her mouth again as he pushed her back into the shower. The water was perfect. Hot and hard and soaking them both in no time at all. His sweatpants hung heavy with water but he needed some sort of barrier between them if he was going to properly distract her. He pressed her back to the tiled wall and moved from her lips down her neck and along her collar bone. She gasped into the steamy shower and clutched at his hair as he continued his journey until his mouth found her nipples. Pulling the buds into his mouth, he teased them with his teeth until she was chanting his name, low and soft.

With her upper half well attended, Edward slipped a hand down from her waist to stroke at her thighs. She parted her legs and Edward moaned at the slick slip of her skin against his fingers. Her heat called to him, drawing his hand higher and higher until he stroked the length of his finger along her folds. Bella's cries grew in volume and Edward pulled back just enough to watch the flush crawl up the length of her body and settle on her cheeks. Her eyes were on his as her hands grappled between his hair and neck and shoulders. It was too slippery for her to get a grip, either that or she was too far gone.

"Take off your pants," she said between moans. Her eyes shot down to his soaking wet sweatpants and he just shook his head in response.

With one wide hand spanning Bella's ribcage, he teased her nipple with his thumb, rolling it fast and light. With his other hand, he stroked two fingers against her folds until he'd eased her legs apart enough to slip one long finger in.

"You're soaking wet," she argued.

"So are you." Edward grinned.

She slapped at his shoulder, a brief scowl flashing across her face before another moan wiped it away.

Edward eased his finger deep within and then back out to slip up and around her clit. His desire to taste her was making his mouth water but he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. The way her head dropped back against the wall, her mouth perpetually open in a sexy mix of gasp and whimper. The rise of her chest was triggered by each and every sound. Her gaze never left his, those big brown eyes that challenged and teased and now burned with lust.

"Edward…"

He grinned at the sound of his name. "Yes, Bella?"

She lifted a leg to wrap around his hip, allowing his finger even greater access to the depths of her pleasure. He took full advantage by easing another in. Her foot slipped against his body, nudging at the waistband of his pants.

"Off. Please. Take them off," she begged.

He had to appreciate her focused determination, as much as it was pissing him off. Edward wanted – needed – her to let go. He needed her to forget what happened that morning and focus on the task at hand. Which, at the moment, involved climaxing as many times as possible with the help of his hands.

"If I take them off… you promise to keep your hands to yourself?" Edward bargained with a growl. The drenched fabric wasn't pleasant and he had to admit the friction it created against his hard and throbbing cock wasn't helping his own concentration.

Bella nodded, a hard bite to her lip and another slip of her hands against his shoulders.

Using one hand, Edward forced his pants down in one push. Stepping free, he kicked them to the corner of the shower and returned his hand to Bella's breasts. Tugging on her nipple, he drew it out until her whimper built to a throaty crescendo. His heavy cock bobbed long and hard and pointed directly at where his other hand was slowly gaining speed.

Her gaze tracked down his body, focusing on the one part of him she couldn't have.

"My eyes are up here, sweetheart." The corner of Edward's lip lifted in a crooked smile that only grew when Bella scowled up at him.

Edward took advantage of her momentary distraction to readjust his positioning. Leaving his fingers buried deep and fluttering at her tight inner walls, his thumb traced tight circles around her clit until she was practically riding his hand. Leaning in to suck at her nipples in tandem with his fingers, her moaning gasps grew louder and longer the faster he moved.

His cock ached in frustration and he banished any thoughts of the painful throbbing to the recesses of his mind. This was all about Bella.

"Oh fuck," she groaned as one of her hands shot to the wall behind her. Grasping and straining to gain purchase on something, anything, she clawed at his back and the sting of her nails proved a worthy distraction for Edward.

A sudden tightness pulled at Edward's buried fingers and a slow pulse built rapidly as Bella cried out. He let her body take over and draw his fingers in further. The heat of the shower had nothing on her as his hand became coated in her pleasure. Her hips rocked against his arm and Edward finally slipped his fingers out to drag across the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center. He repeated the motion again, thrusting slow and deep and coaxing her orgasm to peak and crash again.

Bella's hand slipped down from the shower wall and past her breast until it came to hang limp by her side. Edward smiled at the thought that his hand was solely responsible for bearing her weight at the moment. However, pride would only get him so far. Said hand was in danger of cramping up and while it was his nondominant hand, he relished the idea of getting to use both on her again later. Finally slipping free from her, he swallowed the sigh that fell from her lips with a kiss before dropping to his knees.

Cramping hand, bruised knees, all of it worth it for the look of sheer bliss on her face. She lifted her head toward the water and Edward watched it stream down her body, tracing all the curves he lavished with kisses and caresses just moments ago. Easing one of her feet from the floor, he hooked her leg over his shoulder and took one more look up at her.

Then he shifted his gaze to the deliciously wet center of her pleasure and he couldn't wait any longer. She was spread open to him and he brought his lips to her clit with a hum of pure starvation. She was sweet and slippery against his tongue.

"Oh, Edward." Her moan was music to his ears. She clutched at his hair and pulled him closer.

Edward obliged her unspoken command and brought his tongue to slip between her folds. Her body still quivered with the remnants of her orgasm and Edward couldn't get enough. His tongue worked in circles and dipped and stroked, using her every whimper and sigh as a guide.

The stone tile at the floor of the shower was cooler than the water and his cock bobbed and bounced, its engorged tip striking the cold floor with increasing frequency as his pace picked up. The resulting sensation was an unpleasant shock that threatened to remind him just how hard he was. As if that wasn't enough, Bella started talking.

"Is that how you want me to suck your cock? Long and deep?"

Her words narrated the movement of his tongue as it drove into her, his lips kissing at her pink flesh with each thrust. He groaned into her, his balls heavy and tip leaking with every dirty word she spoke.

"W-what if I suck you off while you- you- you… while you eat me out… just like… that."

Despite her stuttering and stammering, Bella's words still urged him on. Edward imagined her mouth on him and sucked harder at her center. Her body answered him with a sudden, quaking burst and the sweet taste of her pleasure coated his tongue. He lapped at her, only briefly aware that both of her legs now rested atop his shoulders. Her words and her body kept coming.

"Your cum on my lips… pink and swollen… thirsty…" Proper sentence structure was failing her and yet Edward understood her perfectly.

Edward finally blinked up at her as he eased her feet to the floor, cupping her ass in assistance. Rising to his feet, he wasn't surprised to find his lower legs tingling as sensation slowly returned to them. If only the same could be said for his cock. He kept his hands firmly in place and eased Bella's legs high around his waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered a grin that fell somewhere between sated and wicked. Which was exactly why he kept a tight grip on her ass. If she made contact with his cock, it would be all over.

Turning the shower off, Edward strode from the steamy enclosure and into the bathroom. Grabbing a couple of towels on his way, he continued into the bedroom and threw a towel down on the bed before depositing Bella atop it. She smiled up at him and he had an errant thought to lick every last drop of water from her skin rather than waste a towel.

"My turn?" She asked, shamelessly ogling his cock.

"What the hell do you think that was in there?" He jerked his thumb toward the bathroom.

Bella lifted to her elbows and inched her foot toward the edge of the bed and where he stood. "I think that was me, running up a deficit."

"Well, I'm not keeping score," Edward insisted as he sidestepped that naughty foot of hers as it reached for his cock.

"Just providing a distraction," Bella said as she scrunched up her nose.

"Exactly," Edward agreed. He stepped toward Bella, towel in hand and ready to lavish every inch of her body with soft, lingering strokes when a knock sounded at the door. "Goddammit."

Bella glanced at the door and then the towel as Edward offered it to her. She appeared to consider it for a second before taking it and then letting it drop to the floor.

 _Damn. This girl and her exhibitionist tendencies is something I really need to explore._

He caught her looking at his ass as he walked to the door and called over his shoulder. "Is it considered cock-blocking if you already came twice in the shower?"

"Not if you won't let me touch your cock," Bella replied. "And it was three times in the shower, by the way."

Edward grinned at her and opened the door slightly more than was necessary for his current state of undress. Just because he expected Emmett to sneak a peek, didn't mean he had to like it. A hard knot of anger pulled in Edward's chest when he caught Emmett glancing into the room behind him. No matter how much it turned Bella on to be watched, Edward had no interest in sharing her.

"Uh, here, Boss- Edward. Food for Ms. Swan."

Edward took the tray and allowed Emmett one last glance before dismissing him with a deadly glare that refused to budge even after the door was closed.

"Pissed that he got to see how hot you make me?" Bella asked as Edward crossed the room.

He placed the tray on her bedside table and scowled over at her. "And if he views it as an invitation?"

Bella laughed and reached for a slice of apple that adorned the edge of the plate. "From the way he was looking at your cock, I'd say he just wants to watch the show."

"And you want to let him," Edward said.

Her smile faded slightly as she chewed on her lip. "Maybe. I don't know. I've never done anything like that before."

And there it was. That's what turned Edward on about the whole thing. Not being watched or being on display but the idea that it turned Bella on and she never explored it before. And yet she was willing to explore it with him.

"Just so long as I'm not the bystander," Edward growled. He leaned in for a fierce kiss and pulled back before she could realize he was within reach.

Bella reached for him and Edward chuckled at her slow reflexes. An orgasm or three was bound to have that effect on a woman. His laughter was cut short when a rumbling buzz sounded from the tray. Emmett had delivered Edward's cell phone along with Bella's lunch apparently.

Glancing at the display, Edward saw it was Rose calling. Yet again. Bella shot a curious look at the phone as Edward picked it up.

"Hey, how the hell do you get cell reception here? My phone's got nothing," she complained.

"Secure wifi network," he said as he ignored the call and retrieved the towel from the floor, wrapping it around his waist.

"Geez," Bella grunted. "Can I have the password?"

"No," Edward said with a smile as he leaned in for another quick peck. "But you can have another orgasm to add to your tally. Think you can find your way to my room tonight?"

Edward crossed the room and paused at the door as Bella scooted to sit against the headboard.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll just wander the hallways naked and see how far it gets me."

"Funny," he replied, not thinking it was funny at all.

"Give me the wifi password and I'll give you my number. You can text me a map."

Edward shook his head with a laugh. The last thing his father would approve of would be him allowing Bella access to the family's network. It's not like sensitive files were just sitting around waiting to be plucked from the cloud but it wasn't a risk Carlisle would be willing to take.

"I'll come get you," he finally said.

Bella grinned as she popped another apple slice into her mouth. "Oh, you'll come all right."

 **End A/N: Keep the reviews coming... they make me write faster. ;) Hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Apologies for taking so long... trust me, I wanted to post this much sooner than now. But since it is now, let's just consider it a slightly belated birthday/back to school/hump day present for my BFF. Hopefully the sheer volume of sexy times will make up for the delay... ;)**

 **BPOV**

There was no better distraction than Edward Cullen.

From the auburn tips of his tousled hair to the expertly-sculpted planes of his chest and everything in between, he successfully eased Bella's thoughts away from suspicious stories about owls and the ongoing Wi-Fi password hostage situation. She spent the last week convincing herself she could resist him if she wanted to and then those intoxicatingly green eyes would penetrate hers from across the expansive dinner table, amidst the gaggle of staff and sporadic family members, and her resolve would vanish.

Not a good enough reason to use the word 'penetrate.' Bella could practically hear Alice plucking the phrase from one of their favorite movies. And while the thought initially made her smile, her happiness was chased away by the idea of yet another thing Edward had managed to distract her from.

Bella could blame the Great Wi-Fi Battle of 2017 for why she hadn't been in contact with Alice in days but the blame lay solely on her shoulders. After all, Edward may be sex on a stick but it was Bella's decision to raid the popsicle stand night after night. The pride she'd felt at being able to withstand his charms during working hours was rapidly deflating.

At least the infatuation isn't one-sided, Bella reasoned with herself. She may not hesitate to get naked whenever Edward was around but he was stalking her just as much as she was indulging him.

Point in case: the very naked body of Edward Cullen currently exhibiting the side effects of an orgasm-induced coma. Their legs tangled together beneath a swath of the softest cotton sheets Bella ever had the pleasure of rolling around on. She looked over Edward's handsome face, still and peaceful in sleep, focusing on the dark stubble that lined his jaw. The skin along her inner thighs tingled with the pleasant memory of just how good it felt when his face was buried there. Needless to say, it wasn't just the stubble she remembered fondly.

A low rumble emanated from his chest and his hand tightened into a fist, crumbling the sheet in his grip. Bella pursed her lips as she watched a slight wrinkle form between his eyes. He hadn't been lying when he suggested it was he that needed the distraction. And while she convinced herself it was stresses from handling the family business that drove him to seek her out, she wondered just how much work could haunt a man. It certainly shouldn't be the sort of thing to lose sleep over. Bella stifled a laugh at the thought. If there was one thing Edward was losing sleep over, it sure as hell wasn't work.

She untangled her leg from his, eliciting another frustrated moan from the man sprawled out across the bed. As she slipped beneath the covers, her movement didn't appear to wake him but he did shift, bending his leg and inadvertently tenting the sheet for her. Her fingers itched to touch him. She wanted to stroke the strong muscles roping the length of his legs. She longed to rest her hand low on his stomach and revel in each and every twitch that would further contract his impressive six pack as she brought him right to the very edge.

Instead she kept her hands to herself. Moving carefully, she eased her mouth to hover just over his rigid cock. It strained against his stomach, a bead of moisture dampening his perfectly smooth skin and making her mouth water. Every inch of him tasted fantastic. From the rich sweetness of his lips to the masculine heat of his cock. Bella opened her mouth and slipped her tongue out to gently stroke his sensitive head. She felt his groan more than she heard it this time and it only urged her on.

Suctioning her mouth around his engorged head, she eased his cock away from his stomach and sucked languidly at him. It was the slow sort of pace that usually drove his hands into her hair so that he could properly fuck her mouth. Only now she used it as a wake-up call. A force of pleasure to combat whatever demons he dreamt of.

Lapping quietly, Bella allowed more of his generous length to slip into her mouth. One precious inch at a time, she swallowed him down until he reached the back of her throat. With a slow, sucking draw on his cock, Bella eased her mouth back to just his tip and was pretty damn sure Edward's next moan contained her name.

She smiled around him and teased his slit with the tip of her tongue. Using her teeth, she nibbled lightly at the rim around his head and was rewarded with another groan as his cock swelled to fill her mouth. He was definitely awake now.

From beneath the sheet Bella heard what sounded like a knock followed by a litany of hushed curses. So far Edward had yet to make good on his promise to let Emmett watch and Bella wondered if today was her lucky day. That was when she heard Carlisle's unmistakable voice calling into the room.

"Edward."

"Jesus Christ, Dad."

Bella knew she appeared to be nothing more than an indistinct mound beneath the sheets but that didn't stop Edward from placing a firm hand on the back of her head. Of course, if his goal had been to stop her, he failed spectacularly. Her lips were stretched wide around his cock and although it would be difficult to lift her head, she still had complete control over her tongue.

"Is it too early to go over that paperwork now? You're always so busy later in the day."

"You couldn't wait till I was out of bed? Or dressed maybe?"

Carlisle chuckled humorlessly. "I was there when you were born, Edward. Naked as jaybird. But if you'd like to discuss business in a more formal setting I'd be happy to wait in your office."

"Great," Edward said with an exasperated sigh.

"Let me be clear," Carlisle continued although his voice grew quieter as he seemed to move away from the bed. "I won't be happy to wait for long."

The door slammed and Edward's grip on her head relaxed as he let loose another sigh. This one more relief than exasperation.

Bella took the opportunity to sit back on her heels, pulling the sheet down at the same time. It fell off her head and down past her shoulders just in time for Edward to glance her grasping his cock in her hand. It was slick from her saliva and her hand glided along his silky skin with ease.

"Now that is cockblocking," Edward said with a nod toward the closed door. "I've got to start locking the fucking door."

"I don't know," Bella teased. "It sounded important. Far more important than this."

She leaned over and placed a sucking kiss to his cock. Leaving her tongue to trace lazy circles around the skin there, she lifted her face toward Edward. His gaze was focused on her tongue and she rewarded his rapt attention with another kiss and a quick swallow that him fisting the sheets again.

"More important," Edward mumbled.

"Mmm-hmm," Bella agreed, her mouth too full to speak.

"Fuck." Edward made a move to pull away from her mouth. "I have to go. He'll just come back."

Bella pouted playfully and allowed Edward to scoot back, sitting at the head of the bed, for the sole purpose of being able to follow his movements in a seductive prowl. This time when his gaze left hers, it settled on her breasts as they swayed gently with each step. In no time at all her mouth was back on him, sucking at his erect cock as it jutted up from his lap.

His hand fell to her ass while he uttered the word 'fuck' again. He kneaded her flesh and she rose to her knees.

"I like the sound of that." She smiled up at him, matching his pumping grip on her ass with her own on his cock.

"Bells." Edward groaned the nickname he'd started calling her somewhere over the last week. The butterfly horde in her stomach took flight. "I'll be right back."

"What if I don't let you go?" Bella twisted the corner of her lip between her teeth and played her fingers up over the slick head of his cock. "I've been practicing the Quileute Mount and I really think I could take you this time."

It hadn't taken Bella long to connect the dots that the shredded Adonis in the photos lining the gym walls was none other than Edward Cullen. It was the Celtic Wolf tattoo that gave him away as his face was rarely featured. Or maybe it was and Bella just had a hard time looking away from all his delicious muscle to notice. He'd been the top fighter for Cullen Corps for years before retiring, a story Bella still hadn't gotten Edward to spill. In the meantime, she'd had plenty of fun practicing all his old moves. The Rear Naked Choke definitely ranked as one of her favorites… minus the choking, of course.

Edward gripped her wrist as another growl erupted from his throat. "Isabella Swan." Somehow him saying her full name had a similar effect on those damn butterflies and she squirmed closer to him.

"I'll tell you what," she practically whispered as she closed what little distance remained between them. "Tell me the Wi-Fi password and I'll let you go."

Edward claimed her mouth in a searing kiss and she nearly forgot her demand by the time he pulled back. "Will you be here when I get back?"

The things a man would do for sex. Bella smiled and removed her hand from his cock as she rose onto her knees. Pressing her breasts against his firm chest, she nodded until their lips were melded together. Edward bit at her lip and finally pulled back. Two seconds later he was on his feet and striding across the length of the room to extract a pair of shorts from his walk-in closet. Bella could make a serious hobby out of watching that man's perfect ass all day long.

From within the cavernous depths of his closet she heard him call out, "Screw Ohio 06."

When he emerged, and took in Bella's arched eyebrow, Edward let loose with a chuckle. Leaning down for a quick kiss on his way past the bed, he continued on his way before Bella could wrangle him back into bed.

"The first match I lost. Ohio, 2006. Underscore between 'screw' and 'Ohio.'"

Bella laughed. "I never would've guessed that."

"That's the point," Edward said with a wink. His hand was on the doorknob and he paused just long enough to turn back and direct a heated look in her direction. "Oh, and Bella? Don't change. I love what you're wearing."

 **EPOV**

"And just like that, you get in bed with the enemy." Carlisle pounced the moment Edward walked into the office, before he'd even had a chance to close the door.

The five seconds Edward took to make sure the heavy oak door was firmly shut afforded him just enough time to school his expression before turning back to Carlisle.

"What are you talking about?"

"This." A stack of papers fell from Carlisle's hand and landed on Edward's desk with a resounding smack. Jabbing a pointed finger, Carlisle gritted his teeth. "Just what the hell were you thinking, Edward?"

Edward took his time crossing the room, his brow furrowing as he tried to recall just which of his recent deeds was causing his father so much ire. Carlisle, however, didn't appear to notice. He was too busy muttering to himself. His gaze now unfocused but no less deadly.

"…knew I should've put Rose in charge… my life's work… Volturi's will be thrilled…"

"You mean the same Volturi's who are responsible for Jasper's death?" Edward huffed.

Carlisle's steely blue gaze snapped up to meet Edward's. He waved his hand flippantly. The move was a direct contradiction of the serious look on his face. "He was one of them," he finally said.

A cold shiver ran down Edward's spine. He knew his father to be ruthless but to see him dismiss another man's life so easily was a new low. "Should that matter?"

"Yes. Better him than one of us." Carlisle bobbed his head once but didn't bother wasting any additional energy on looking sad.

A cascade of words built up on Edward's tongue. Accusatory words that blamed Carlisle for Jasper's death. Fury that Carlisle chose to put Edward in charge instead of Rose. Disappointment that despite all that had happened, Edward still wanted no part of it. He could take this opportunity to change things and turn the organization around. Force his father to play clean and fair for once. And that's when it dawned on him. That's exactly why his father was upset with him.

Edward didn't fight the small smile that curled the corner of his lip as he approached the desk and nodded toward the papers. "And just what would you have done in retaliation?"

"Edward," Carlisle practically growled his name. "This is not retaliation. This is rewarding the enemy. You just up and give them our latest shipment? We have a very strict protocol we follow when it comes to dolling out our product-"

"Drugs, you mean." Edward replied. "You save the 'good stuff' for our fighters and sell off the lesser quality drugs to the competition."

"It's more complicated than that and you can't even begin to understand the intricacies of the operation that you've been so reluctant to be a part of."

A boiling fury rolled through Edward's chest. "I fought for Cullen Corps for five years, Dad. Five years I had your trainers and doctors pushing every drug imaginable into my system all so I could win the fight."

Carlisle had leaned over the desk and the if not for the reliance on his cane, the two men would've been nose to nose. "Do I need to remind you just how well you did without them?"

With a deep breath, Edward took a step back and willed the darkness crowding his vision to recede. Carlisle's specialty was riling people up. It was how he retained the upper hand. Anything was possible when you made the enemy lose their cool.

 _Just when did I become the enemy_ , Edward wondered.

"No, Dad." He finally responded. "I'm reminded every time I check my email."

Carlisle chuckled and Edward clenched his fists at the sound of it. It was pretty easy to see why Carlisle chose the particular mode of intimidation that he did. He was damn good at it.

"As for the shipment," Edward said. "I wanted to get inside the Volturi's operation. The way you supply to them now – through third, fourth and sometimes fifth-party dealers – doesn't afford much contact. This way we can have direct contact with them."

Carlisle appeared to consider this with a miniscule – yet surprised – look of pride on his face. Maybe that could be Edward's main objective: shock the enemy into submission.

"Who are you using? It can't be Emmett," Carlisle said.

"Sure it can," Edward replied. "We were infiltrated. Unknowingly took on an employee from another family to guard the head of our household. Why would we trust anyone now? Send Emmett around on errands and see if he meets the same end as Jasper."

"Now who's being callous?" sneered Carlisle.

"Emmett's not a traitor. And he'll find out what we need to know fast." Edward strode toward the door, eager to escape to a room which promised far better company. Namely, his bedroom. "Someone is clearly targeting you, even with Jasper gone."

Carlisle knew better than to deny the incident to Edward. He wasn't going to fall for some phony story about an owl.

Opening the door a crack, Edward hesitated. He didn't relish the idea of his father poking around his office unattended but wasn't about to kick him out either. Luckily the old man could take a hint. He made his way across the room in steady, measured steps. Bella was doing both of them a world of good. A thought that made Edward cringe the second he had it. The idea was a little too close for comfort.

This time it was Carlisle who paused at the door, stopping just before crossing the threshold. "Oh, and Edward? Sleeping with the help? Really?"

 **BPOV**

Before Bella could locate her clothes and storm out in anger or embarrassment – she hadn't decided which just yet – Edward walked into the bedroom. From the look on his face, he knew she'd heard what Carlisle had said. And his expression was enough to make her abandon either.

"Bella. I'm so sorry. My father… he's…" Edward closed the door with a slam as he stalked toward her. "He's… what can I say? There's no excuse for him."

That fact didn't seem to sit well with Edward. His jaw clenched shut, fists balled at his sides as he stood just beside the bed. Whatever Bella may have been feeling when she heard Carlisle's jab about sleeping with the help didn't appear to compare with how Edward felt.

Bella dropped the sheet she'd held clutched to her chest and made her way to where Edward stood, clearly too distracted to appreciate just how naked she was. Rising to her knees, she laid a hand on his chest. Despite her light touch, he jerked and clamped his hand over hers. She could feel his heart beat against her palm and wondered at the sudden jump in her own pulse as he looked down at her.

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

Bella shook her head with a sigh. "I must admit I thought he was one of the good ones." She crinkled her nose at the memory of how she fell for his charms. "Handsome older gentleman always ready with a smile and a kind word."

"Handsome?" Edward lifted an eyebrow along with his mood. "My father?"

"You had to get these good looks from somewhere," Bella said with a laugh as she brought her other hand up to stroke at his rough jaw.

He snapped playfully at her fingers before his expression turned serious once again. "But you didn't deserve to hear that. It's not true, you know."

"Sure, it is," Bella replied.

"Bella-"

"What? I am the help."

Edward let out a sharp huff and dropped her hand from his chest. "You're a well-educated professional with a thriving career."

"And your chef isn't?" Bella waited just long enough to enjoy Edward's slack-jawed silence before letting out a loud laugh. "Relax, Edward. I know what you were saying but I guess you can't really deny what your father said. I am helping him."

A growl rumbled through Edward's chest and Bella jumped at the sudden firmness of his hands gripping her bare waist.

"Have you been naked this whole time?"

Arousal flooded Bella's body with a burning heat as Edward's serious gaze took a turn for the sexy. She nodded, biting her lip against a moan that threatened to escape.

"You said you liked what I was wearing," she said breathlessly.

"I really do," he replied as he leaned in to bite her lip for her.

The roughness with which he captured her mouth soon eased into something slower and almost tender. Bella's hands found their way between their bodies and beneath the soft cotton of his t-shirt. It was about time to divest him of those pesky clothes he'd thrown on. When Edward pulled back, Bella expected his shirt to hit the floor in record time but instead she was met with a deepening crease between his eyes that matched the stern set of his mouth. His hands never left her, moving from her waist to stroke up and down the length of her arms.

"I'm really not like him," Edward said.

Bella had to wonder just who he was trying to convince. Her or him.

"Except for the handsome part," Bella reminded him with a small smile that he returned with a grimace.

"It'd be great if you could stop talking about how handsome you think my father is."

Bella dropped back on the bed with a laugh. Tugging the sheet up to cover her breasts, she looked up at the serious and seriously distracted man standing over her. "He can't be all bad. Some of that man I'd gotten to know has to be real. It's not all an act, is it?"

Edward's jaw clicked and he stared at the bed hard enough to make Bella wonder if he'd ignored her in favor of brushing up on his x-ray vision. When he finally did look up at her it was to stare at her in silence for a good thirty seconds. The intense look on his face was doing all sorts of funny things to Bella's body and had her seriously considering dropping the sheet and avoiding any and all conversation. That's when he spoke.

"You heard what he said." Edward's voice was rough, spoken through clenched teeth.

Bella nodded and flexed her fist against the knot of fabric clutched to her chest. "And it wasn't my favorite thing to hear but, Edward, he runs a successful business. He's been married to the same woman for fifty years. And he raised you." The tension around Edward's mouth softened a little. "I know a little something about having a successful parental figure. They don't get that way by being all sunshine and rainbows. You have to be a little ruthless."

"Ruthless," Edward repeated the word with a humorless snort. He sat down on the bed, leaning back against the headboard with a sigh.

Bella relinquished her hold on the sheet and made her way over to Edward. His continued state of dress wasn't ideal but didn't deter Bella from crawling over to straddle his lap. Edward's hands found a home along the crease of her hips, his thumbs pressing delicate circles into the soft skin there.

"So maybe you run the family business without the callous ruthlessness," Bella said with a shrug. She used the move to land her hands on his broad shoulders and close a little of the distance between them.

"And what if I don't want to run the family business?" He asked.

"Then you carve your own path," Bella responded matter-of-factly.

A slow smile touched his lips and his hands tightened on her hips just enough to allow her to feel a growing hardness positioned beneath her center.

"Is that what you did?" Edward asked.

"Maybe," Bella replied. A sigh escaped through her smile but Edward's hands stilled. He was waiting for more. So was she. Rocking her hips once against him, she decided both of them could have what they wanted. "When you're the daughter of a high-profile police chief, there are certain expectations. Pressure even to follow in those law enforcement footsteps."

Edward held her in place, pressing her down hard against him. "Your father is chief of police?"

Bella laughed and tried to move under Edward's forceful grip but to no avail. She settled for leaned in to nip at the strong line of his jaw. "Mother. My mother is chief of police."

It was almost easy to forget that Bella was supposed to be mad at Carlisle when they met up later in the afternoon for his therapy session. His disarming smile and easy charm drew her in like always and it was only when she cracked a smile at his comment about her buff arms as he took the one she offered in assistance that she remembered what he'd said about her.

"I suppose helping invalids around all day would give you the arms of a superhero," Carlisle said.

Bella halted her smile before it became a full-on grin and negotiated their way through the French doors and onto the expansive patio leading to the backyard. "I don't see any invalids here," she finally replied.

The leaves were beginning to turn. The tinge of orange outlining the tips of the trees bordering the large yard was amplified by the glow of the early evening sun. Despite the obvious sign of the impending autumn and the time of day, the air was warm. Carlisle was right. As impressive as their home gym was, it was definitely more appealing to work outside on day like this.

"Are you sure Edward is okay with us working outside?" Bella asked as she closed the doors behind them.

Carlisle made his way to one of the patio chairs. "I didn't know I needed to run it by him."

"Uh uh uh," Bella said when she saw Carlisle moving to sit down. "You're out here to work, no sitting."

Carlisle stood with a mock huff and Bella removed a small ball from where she'd lodged it beneath her arm. Tossing it into the air and catching it with a smile, she gestured for Carlisle to follow her toward the grass. "I just thought Edward wanted us to stay inside until… the owl's nesting season was over."

"I think we're safe back here," Carlisle said with a wink.

Bella leveled a serious look at Carlisle who didn't seem to notice before stepping back a few paces and holding the ball out. "Ready?"

"For?"

"You catch it with your left hand and throw it back to me with your right. Alternate between underhand and overhand. Okay?"

Carlisle nodded and caught Bella's first toss easily. The ball sailed back and forth, Bella taking small steps back with each throw.

"So, Edward was actually telling me how you only bought this place a few years ago…" Bella began.

This time Carlisle didn't laugh or smirk or wink or do any of the other charming things he was known for but he did catch the ball.

"Was he?" Carlisle said coolly. "Perhaps he's confused. This home has been in my family for generations."

"Huh," Bella mused. "That's probably it. He's so busy running the business. I imagine he can't afford to be distracted."

The ball came sailing back to Bella, a bit harder than his previous throws. "No, he can't." Carlisle replied.

Bella crouched down and touched the ball to grass. "Ready to work on some balance? I want to you stop the ball with your foot, then kick it back. Keep it rolling, no bouncing." She sent the ball off with a push. "Alternate feet."

The focus on balance required more concentration and the two worked in silence that was punctuated only by Bella's mild praise and the occasional bird call until it was interrupted with the soft chime of a text message. The sound came from Bella's phone and naturally she ignored it. After all, she was with a client. But the sound didn't go unnoticed by Carlisle.

"You get reception here?"

Bella stood from her crouch as she sent the ball off toward Carlisle again. This time when he returned it, she sent it rolling right back with a little kick. "Just recently, yeah."

"Huh," Carlisle said without the slightest bit of surprise in his voice. "Most people find the house to be a bit of a dead zone."

"I've got a good service plan," Bella said with a shrug. She couldn't keep a smile from touching her lips. The combination of Edward and the Wi-Fi password went well beyond good service.

The ball came rolling back to Bella on a bounce that sent it careening away from the house. As Carlisle apologized, Bella jogged after it with a laugh. It'd been so long since she'd been outside for any reason, let alone a good run, that she didn't care. Scooping up the ball, she lobbed it back toward Carlisle, who managed to stop it under the toe of his left shoe with only the slightest wobble.

"I'm impressed, Mr. Cullen. You've come a long way in such a short time," Bella exclaimed as she trotted back toward him. "You'll be lacing up those dancing shoes in no time at all."

Her phone pinged again and then again, a machine gun-burst of electronic chimes that signaled the Wi-Fi floodgates opening. Bella was willing bet every last text and voicemail was from Alice.

"Sounds like someone's trying to get ahold of you," Carlisle said, gesturing toward the waistband pocket of Bella's spandex capris.

She waved her hand. "They can wait."

"Maybe they can, but I can't. I'm hungry." Carlisle bent to pick up the ball. "It must be close to dinner time."

As if on cue, the outside lights flicked on, bathing the patio in soft light. Bella and Carlisle stood on the grass, just beyond the yellow rim.

"Ah, it's a sign!" Carlisle announced with a wide grin.

Bella's shoulders slumped just a little at the thought of heading back inside so soon. She imagined the grounds were fabulous in the peak of summer. Sprawling green with hidden treasures just over the gentle rises and slopes. She'd already spotted the pool from her bedroom window and was pretty sure there were tennis courts somewhere on the property as well.

"One last throw," Bella bargained. "Give it all you've got."

A dark glint flashed in Carlisle's eyes, or was that a trick of the fading light? Whatever it was, Bella didn't have long to consider it because the ball went sailing overhead, too high for her to catch even with a jump.

"I won't apologize for that one, Bella." Carlisle called out as she ran off after the ball. "After all, my strength is a testament to you."

Bella laughed despite herself. Even knowing how Carlisle felt about her involvement with Edward, Bella couldn't help but find a small part of her still liked him. He was nothing if not determined and that was a quality to be admired, whether it worked in her favor or not.

"Go get ready for dinner, you've earned dessert tonight!" She shouted back to him.

His deep, jovial laughter followed her as she ran into the shadows that stretched toward the house. Bella finally spotted the ball and jogged toward it. She turned just in time to see Carlisle disappear into the house. Instead of heading straight in after him, she ran along the tips of the shadows, enjoying the fresh air for a little while longer. By the time she'd made her way back around to the patio, it was just in time to hear the angry, yet indistinguishable, sounds of two men arguing. As her steps transitioned from grass to stone pavers, she heard her name called out.

"Bella!" It was Edward.

The door closed behind him with a slam and Bella caught a glimpse of a retreating Carlisle just seconds before Edward's large frame blocked her view of anything.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He thundered.

Bella pressed her hand to his chest and yet he didn't stop advancing until her fingers were nearly crushed between them. "Working. What's going on?"

"I told you to stay inside." His breath was coming hard and fast and his eyes were dark with anger and something else. Worry?

"Your father said it was okay-"

"My father," Edward scoffed. "And just what has he done to earn your trust lately, Bella? I can think of a pretty damn good reason not to trust him, in fact."

Bella flexed her fingers against his shirt. "He may not like us sleeping together but my job has nothing to do with that."

Edward's arms encircled her, holding her close. The move wasn't romantic or gentle. "He's killed people for less."

"What?" Bella asked. The longer Edward took to respond, the more Bella thought she must've misheard him. No one said anything about killing anybody. Carlisle may be a dick but he wasn't going to murder her.

The color drained from Edward's lips as he pressed them together in a hard line. When he finally spoke, his teeth were clenched in a poor show of restraint. "Never mind. It wasn't him anyway."

Now he was mumbling. Despite their proximity to one another, Bella wasn't sure what he was talking about. She brought her other hand between them and reached for the collar of his shirt. She couldn't deny how good he looked all worked up, especially while wearing a crisp button-down shirt and tailored pants. It was a hell of a lot more clothes than he'd been wearing earlier in the day and Bella had to admit the change wasn't all bad. Her fingertips crazed the sliver of skin available to her through the undone top button of his shirt.

"What is going on?" Bella finally asked.

Edward's gaze darted around the grounds, his arms pulling her in closer. When he finally loosened his grip to look down at her, Bella was surprised to see fear in his eyes.

"It's not safe out here. You know that, right?"

Bella rolled her eyes. She sure as hell knew it wasn't an owl that went streaking past her a week ago but an errant bullet from an irresponsible hunter wasn't reason enough for total house arrest in her book. "It was a freak accident, Edward. An accident that wasn't even an accident because I'm fine."

"What about next time?"

"There won't be a next time. Lightning doesn't strike twice."

He squinted at her, holding back whatever it was that he wanted to say. Finally, he settled for pulling her back into his arms, pressing her head to his chest. The beat of his heart almost overpowered his next words. "It's not just you that's in danger."

When he removed his hand from her back to gesture toward the corner of the house, Bella immediately missed the warmth of his touch.

"He goes where you go." In the darkness Bella could just make out Emmett, standing still and silent. His gaze was trained on them. "So now both of you are in danger."

Bella shivered against Edward and his arm wrapped back around her. She still wasn't sure what he was talking about or why she was in danger but none of that mattered when he was holding her.

 **EPOV**

Edward couldn't get his heart to slow down. Or his thoughts. They were racing with the possibilities of what could've happened. The very idea that his father had talked Bella into going outside was outrageous. If he hadn't been so determined to get his hands on Bella and know that she was alright, he most definitely would've gotten a hand on his father and it wouldn't have been nearly as gentle. Not that his grip on Bella was particularly soft. He squeezed her once and pulled back, forcing his hands to release her just a little.

"You have Emmett following me?" Bella asked.

The naïve incredulity in her voice would've been endearing if it wasn't so infuriating. Edward was well beyond being rational and it was a serious struggle to keep his voice low and calm.

"That's his job," Edward growled. "To protect this family."

A flash of amusement flickered across Bella's face. She didn't laugh but her eyes sure as hell were smiling. Edward narrowed his own at her. "What?"

Bella bit her lip and glanced down, choosing that moment to fiddle with the buttons on his shirt. "It's just that I'm not family." She glanced up at him, that smile struggling to get free from the grip of her teeth. "I'm afraid I'm just the h-"

He could've yelled or cursed or punched a hole in the wall like a damn Neanderthal but he silenced her with a kiss. One that channeled all his anger and fear and threatened to tear him apart. She pressed against him, giving herself over and yet she was just one more thing he couldn't control. For a man who was used to winning, it was strange to be surrounded by those who knew better or thought they did. He was powerless but Bella didn't need to know that.

His fingers tangled in her hair, wrapping the long dark strands into his fist and pulling her closer. The force of his lips on hers were going to leave a mark and he didn't care. He sucked at her lips, biting at the fine flesh there she was so fond of nibbling on. Bella moaned on a sigh and Edward didn't let her catch her breath. His tongue stroked against hers and he devoured every last sound she made. The groans, the whimpers, the panting breaths that struggled to get free. He wanted all of them.

His own breath was hard and fast when they finally broke apart. Bella was on her toes, her hands clenched in his shirt, half of the buttons undone. He bent down to press his forehead against hers. If his overly-possessive kiss wasn't proof enough, Edward growled in a low voice. "You're under my protection while you're here. Nothing will happen to you."

"While I'm here?" Bella asked, her voice a breathless whisper. "And just what are you protecting me from? Your elitist father or something more… dangerous?"

She squeezed his biceps for emphasis yet Edward couldn't think of anything beyond the litany of real dangers she could face once she got tangled up with the Cullen family. A threat that most likely would extend beyond the boundaries of the Cullen Estate. The thought that Bella might be in danger once she left the compound sent another surge of fury rocketing through Edward. Bringing her there had been a mistake. One that was too late to correct.

"You may not believe me," Edward said. His finger grazed the side of Bella's face, her pale skin smooth beneath his touch. "But I'm more dangerous than my father."

 _For forcing you to come here_ , he thought.

Bella captured his hand and leaned into his touch before turning to capture the tip of his thumb between her teeth. She sucked at his skin and let it pop free with a slick sound that shot straight to his cock.

"Am I in danger now?" Bella asked.

"Most definitely," Edward responded.

This time he offered a modicum of restraint as he brought his lips down on hers. Her mouth opened to him and with a single sweep of her tongue, his tenuous control was shattered. Slipping his hand back into her hair, he dove deeper into her mouth and pressed his hips against her. The force pushed her backward until suddenly they stopped moving and every last inch of space between them was erased.

Bella was backed up against one of the columns rising from the patio to support a second-story balcony. One that Edward sincerely hoped would still be standing once he was done with the sexy woman in his arms.

From where they were standing, the exterior lighting barely touched them. A thin, illuminating halo cut just over Edward's shoulder so that when he pulled back, Bella's alabaster skin practically glowed. The light danced in her eyes as she fluttered them open to look up at him. A brief flicker of a shadow and Bella's blink to the side reminded Edward they were not alone. Emmett was there. And in a minute, he would be gone. He was under orders to be dismissed from his protection duties whenever Edward was around.

Bella's gaze was back on Edward's and he was reminded of another promise he'd made to her. One that he could more readily keep. He would give anything to ensure her safety but that sort of a plan would take time and resources, neither of which were on his mind at the moment. And Emmett deserved some sort of acknowledgement for all the extra work he'd been putting in. He'd been doing his job well if Bella hadn't noticed him trailing her all week. Especially since she hadn't been allowed to leave the house.

Letting Bella's hair fall from his fingers, Edward raised his hand and spoke a single word to the retreating shadow behind him. "Stay."

Bella's gaze shot back to Edward, an unmistakable spark in her eyes. And still there was a question there. Was this what Edward wanted?

"I want you," Edward said in a low voice as he leaned in to brush his lips against her neck. Pulling back to see a rush of color flood her cheeks, Edward couldn't help but smile. "And I've never seen you more turned on."

The column was put to the test as he pressed against her, seeking some relief for his aching cock. Her sigh mingled with a moan and Edward slipped a hand between them, seeking out the waistband of her skintight pants. Bella grasped his wrist, holding his hand at bay. "Every time you touch me you turn me on." Her gaze held his for one serious moment. Then she moved his hand, guiding it beneath her pants.

Edward didn't waste any time bringing his other hand around to slip against the silky spandex covering Bella's firm backside. He squeezed her there, pulling her against him and stroking a finger against her heated center at the same time. She gasped and bit into that delicious lip again. Her eyes were wide with desire and focused solely on him and yet Edward could sense Emmett there in the shadows, watching.

Ducking his head down, Edward brushed the tip of his nose along Bella's jaw. When she lifted her face to allow him better access to her neck, he took full advantage. His lips ravaged the smooth skin there, sucking and kissing and growling against her. Glancing up, he noticed Bella's gaze blinking between himself and the shrouded figure behind him. Edward kissed the thumping pulse along Bella's neck and rose to his full height, no doubt obscuring Emmett's view.

Edward's shadow fell across Bella's face and her eyes focused on his, widening an infinitesimal amount at the subtle stroke of his finger. She was wet against his hand, soaking his finger and making his cock impossibly hard.

"He can watch," Edward began. "And he can see you…" He left his right hand buried between her legs but brought his other one up to slip the strap of her tank top down past her shoulder. Bella obliged him and shimmied out of the top, gasping when he brought a finger up to pinch at the aroused tip of her nipple as it strained against her sports bra. He cupped her breast and then lowered his head at the same time he pulled the fabric down and out of the way. Lavishing her nipple with sucking kisses, he pulled back only briefly to look up at her again. "But he can't see all of you." He punctuated the demand with a thrust of his finger into her heated center.

Bella rose onto her toes, riding his finger as he teased her nipple with the tip of his tongue. She clutched at his hair and Edward groaned against the pain of her fingernails, his cock throbbing in its confinement.

"Fine," Bella finally breathed her agreement. "But I don't just want your fingers. I want your cock."

That word falling from Bella's lips was like a bolt of lightning. Edward's body went rigid with tension, mimicking the unyielding stiffness of said cock. He held his finger deep within her, fluttering the tip against her own quivering walls, an animalist snarl growing in his chest.

"Since when aren't my fingers enough?" The words came out in a low, harsh voice. Anger was his best defense at the moment. After all, he hadn't expected to find himself in such a situation on his way to dinner. He really had to start carrying condoms with him everywhere he went as long as Bella was around.

Despite his tone, Bella offered a soft smile that rapidly verged on wicked. "I love your fingers. Long, deep, finding my orgasm better than my own ever could…"

Edward stilled his hand and slipped another digit alongside his first, stopping her commentary with a shuddering gasp. He smirked as she blinked back the pleasure, barely holding it at bay if her stilted speech was any indication.

"Want your cock- need– deep inside. Now… Edward- now. Please. Please, Edward."

It was the begging that did him in. The moan that her words rolled out on, the bright red of her lip where those teeth dug in against the inferno that threatened to rage through her body. Her hands clawed at his pants, finding the thickening bulge of his cock with little trouble. And before he could acquiesce or distract her with an earth-shattering orgasm, she was unzipping his pants and pulling him free.

A barely audible grunt sounded from the shadows behind him but Bella didn't let Edward get distracted by Emmett's presence. She pulled on his cock, stroking root to tip and drawing his attention back to her.

Stepping toward her, he sighed as the head of his cock slipped along the soft and silky fabric of her pants. He thrust there as Bella worked her hands over him, finally holding him against her, wedged just beneath where his hand was buried. With a slick stroke, he pulled his fingers out of her and brought them to his mouth. The taste of her arousal was like honey on his tongue. He hummed around his fingers until Bella cut him off. A firm hand to the back of his neck pulled him toward her, her mouth searching his for a taste of what he did to her.

The sudden proximity afforded Edward the perfect vantage point to thrust against her. Her legs parted just enough to allow his cock nearly unobstructed access to that sweet heat at her center. He could feel her throbbing just a breath away, separated by thin fabric that was suddenly not thin enough. Angling his hips just right, Edward was able to test the integrity of those skintight pants. With low, shallow thrusts, the head of his cock was briefly swallowed by her barely covered, slick center.

She bit at his lips and battled his tongue, moans escaping the seal of their lips. Her thighs clutched at his cock, drawing him into her just as far as her pants would allow. He wanted to get his hand in her pants again. His mouth on her breasts. His cock buried deep. And yet all he could do now was pull her closer in his arms and pray for dinner to be over by the time they got back inside. He needed the day to be over. Because then he'd have her in his bed again. Naked and ready to receive all the pleasure he longed to give her.

Bella wrapped her arms around his head, lifting her mouth off his to gasp into the evening air. Edward clutched at her leg, curling it to wrap around his hip. His cock ached, ready to burst and needing one good, deep thrust to get the job done. Wrapping his fingers around his straining cock, Edward stroked back and forth against the seam of her pants. A pleasurable thrumming settled into his balls and he pressed against her, the sheath of her thighs stroking him into oblivion.

Bella began gasping his name until it devolved into little more than "E!" He knew she must be watching Emmett watching them and Edward couldn't help but wonder what she saw. Was Emmett visible from where he stood? Was he silent and still or unable to control himself? Part of Edward hoped Emmett's cock was hard, an unrelenting pressure beneath his cupped hands, because the only thing better than fucking Bella was knowing that no one else was.

With Edward supporting most of Bella's weight, her hands were on the move again. She reached down to stroke at his balls, hefting them in her palm. Edward brought his hands to her waist and pulled her down on him. The head of his cock slipped against her spandex-clad center and dragged across her clit. She shuddered against him with a sudden cry and Edward angled to do it again. Releasing his grip on her with just one hand, he guided his cock to make the same circuit again and again until he was ready to burst.

Bella's hands slipped along his cock, pulled at his belt and tore at his shirt until somehow her hands were suddenly against the bare skin of his chest. The heat of her touch set him on fire and Edward captured her lips once more with a final thrust against her. He swallowed the cry that came after, the one that seemed never-ending as she fell apart in his arms.

Her limbs grew heavy, fingers turning from rigid claws into soothing strokes as he set her feet back down on the ground. Edward surveyed the damage. He was thoroughly pleased to find her flushed and disheveled, yet still appropriately covered. Even her sports bra slipped back up in their frenzied coupling. Edward didn't fare as well. Several of his buttons were missing, no doubt scattered about the patio, his shirttails barely tucked in. The one that hung lose did little to disguise his still-hard cock jutting out from his open pants front.

Bella's gaze tracked down his body and she reached for him when she stopped suddenly. It wasn't Edward that stopped her or even Emmett's silent presence. What stopped her was anything but silent.

"Well, well, Emmett. Why is it that every time I run into you, you seem to have your cock in your hand?"

The voice that usually froze Edward in his tracks had him moving faster than usual. Painfully shoving his cock back into pants, Edward zipped up and turned to face the intruder.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I stopped by for dinner, of course." The statuesque blonde in six-inch designer heels stepped onto the patio with two sharp clicks. "I'm so very anxious to meet the famous Bella."

Edward's lip curled up in a warning snarl. "Bullshit, Rose."

 **A/N: Rose! Finally! And she sounds like a peach, right?**

 **As much as I wish I could get on a regular writing schedule for this little slice of lemony goodness, that's proving to be a difficult task at the moment. But that's where you - lovely readers - come in! Who doesn't like a little eye candy along with their fanfiction? If you stumble across the perfect pic of our beloved Mobward or his minxy little Bella, pass it along to me on Pinterest (send it to KJ Elison). I've got a Celtic Wolf board all ready and waiting! I'm always up for requests as well... got a sexy scenario you'd like to see pop up? Pass it along! Show me your idea of sexy MMA fighter Edward, conniving Carlisle, wallflower Emmett or even the elusive North American Barn Owl. ;) Let's create a space that adds a visual element to this story and maybe gets me writing a little faster. I can't wait to see your ideas! (I'll be sure to add mine too!)**

 **And as always, I'll take the reviews too... :D Thanks so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So I could give you the multitude of excuses as to why it's taken me so long to post another chapter but excuses don't give us sexy times with Mobward and Bella, do they? I can only offer up this little treat as my apology (there might be some lemony goodness to make up for my tardiness)... ready to meet Rose?**

BPOV

Bella refused to let Rose rattle her. That or the sorry state of her luggage. She was pretty good at stretching her weekender bag into a full week or two but with only the one dress packed, she was stuck wearing the memory of Edward's hands up her skirt down to dinner with his father and sister.

"She's seen worse," Bella reminded herself. Not that the memory of Rose walking in on them just twenty minutes ago did much to quell the nerves churning in her stomach.

That gastric symphony continued as she made her way downstairs, but it was no match for the shouts echoing throughout the main floor. The longer Bella eavesdropped, the more she got the distinct impression Rose didn't exactly do quiet.

"Well if you'd invited Royce, he would've loved to be here."

"I didn't invite you, Rosalie. Why in the hell would I invite that no good sonofabitch you married?"

Bella tried to pass by the open doorway as inconspicuously as possible on her way to the kitchen, only to be stopped midstride.

"Bella."

It was Edward. His voice was practically a whisper compared to that of his sister and father and yet Bella still felt a shiver run over her skin.

He stepped toward her, his hand outstretched. Bella wasn't sure if it was a peace offering or a lifeline but from the looks of the room she was walking into, it was definitely one or the other. As much as she wanted to take hold of him and allow the soothing heat of his body calm her nerves, she wasn't about to give Carlisle or Rose the satisfaction.

"Thank you," she spoke politely to Edward, pulling out the chair he unwittingly gestured to with his extended hand.

Bella moved to sit down but froze as she looked across the length of the table at the frigid glare on Rose's face. It was well matched by the vibes pouring off her, where she stood with her hands planted on her hips like some sort of Amazon warrior. Both sent a chill racing over Bella's skin.

That biting voice echoed through the room in Bella's general direction. "Why don't you just make yourself at home then."

"That's no way to treat a guest in my house." Carlisle had been standing behind one of the tall, ornate chairs in his stand-off with Rose and he turned now, a genial smile on his face. "Bella, please take a seat."

Chairs were plentiful. The large oval table boasted over a dozen of them and an errant thought ran through Bella's mind.

 _So, this is the formal dining room._

So far nearly every meal she'd had at the Cullen Estate had taken place in the kitchen. This was a room she'd never even seen before. One of the many hidden by heavily scrolled doors. Home to whatever the hell rich people deemed necessary in their unnecessarily large mansions. Like massive formal dining rooms set with just four place settings. The homey kitchen table that was usually host to the bustling staff of Cullen Estate would've dwarfed their intimate party of four. This room was practically swallowing them whole.

Glancing around at the three expectant faces focused solely on her had Bella self-correcting.

 _If they don't swallow me whole first._

A mouthwatering thought as far as Edward was concerned but it was the other two whom Bella was really worried about.

"Where's everyone else?" Bella asked with a poor attempt at a smile. Why did she feel like she'd suddenly dipped her toe into a pool of piranhas?

Perhaps it was the sudden predatory grin plastered across Rose's face that called the image to mind. With the smile only spreading, Rose was the first to sit. She planted herself at the head of the table and Carlisle took a few cautious steps around the chair he stood behind. Bella recognized the telltale limp of overused, underdeveloped muscles and wondered if she hadn't gone a little hard on him in today's workout.

"Well on their way to dessert, I imagine." Carlisle grumbled. "Wasn't expecting you'd allow me that but I assumed I'd least get to eat dinner."

 _Scratch that_ , thought Bella as she strained to maintain her smile.

"I apologize for taking so long to change," Bella said as she took a seat.

"Oh, ignore him, Bella." Rose said with a dismissive wave. "My father's not known for his patience."

"And my daughter's not known for her tact. Or her obedience. Or-"

"We get it, Daddy. The list goes on and on." Rose rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in Edward's general direction. "You. Sit here."

She gestured to the seat nearest her and coincidentally, farthest from Bella. Edward didn't take his eyes off Bella as he made his way across the room. And yet Bella couldn't help wondering if it wasn't a good idea for there to be a little distance between them. His proximity made it difficult to concentrate and sitting in the dual crosshairs of Carlisle and Rose, Bella suspected she'd need her wits about her.

"Perfect," Rose announced as Edward sat down. "Almost everyone."

"Rose." The warning in Carlisle's voice was plain to Bella but Rose didn't appear to hear it or care.

Instead she turned her attention to Bella – not that it had ever left – allowing her gaze to track over what she could see of Bella before finally coming to rest squarely on her face. "You're lucky, Bella. Your husband would be invited to the Cullen family dinner table…if this whole 'boning my brother' thing turns into something more, that is."

And with that, any lingering doubts Bella had about the reason behind the formal dining room ambush were firmly put to bed. Rose wasn't curious about her father's rehabilitation or Bella's role in it. Despite the obvious animosity between Rose and her father, they were more alike than they appeared to be at first glance. At least when it came to their ideas about Edward sleeping with the help.

"Where is Charlton with the soup?" Rose waved her hand impatiently.

The verbal whiplash Rose was doling out threatened to bury Bella if she didn't wedge herself into the conversation somehow. Otherwise she would be beholden to Carlisle's polite protestations and Edward's deafening silence.

"Who is Charlton?" Bella interjected.

"Our chef," Edward finally spoke. The firm set to his square jaw and full lips appeared to be less than amused by his sister's appearance and their current hostage situation and yet there was a gleam in his eye that wasn't all serious. Was he enjoying this? Did he want to witness a catfight?

"Your chef?" Bella repeated dumbly.

"Yes," Rose replied, her annoyance at being kept waiting reached a fever pitch as she glanced about the room at its many entrances. "And he's usually quite prompt. I'm afraid his tact has suffered under your tardiness, Bella." Her gaze focused back on Bella. "Lucky for you, I didn't come for the soup."

"Just what did you come for, Rose?" So, Edward didn't appear to be amused after all.

Despite his tone, Rose barely looked in his direction. Her flippant dismissal didn't go unnoticed but before Edward could say whatever he opened his mouth to say, Carlisle bit back at his daughter.

"What does she ever come for?" He chuckled humorlessly. "It's not the food or the family, is it, Rose? It's the dirt. The gossip. The crippling fact that something important may happen without you around to witness it."

This time it was Rose's turn to laugh. The sound just happened to signal the appearance of the much-talked about soup. It may have been Bella's imagination, but she was pretty sure she saw the chef shiver at the sound of Rose's throaty laughter. The poor man looked terrified. Quick on his heels was a tall, gangly boy who couldn't have been older than twenty. He juggled a couple of bowls in his arms and rather clumsily set one in front of Bella before moving on to Edward.

"I knew you thought highly of Edward, Dad, but I had no idea you held his cock in such high esteem. Because as far as I can tell, the only thing happening around here is going on under the sheets. Or the back patio." She sniggered under her breath and dipped a spoon into her soup.

Clearly it took more than a handful of inappropriate comments to deter the Cullen siblings from enjoying their dinner because Edward was scraping the bottom of his soup bowl and Bella had yet to pick up her spoon. Carlisle's remained untouched as well.

"Bella, dear." Carlisle placed his hand atop Bella's and she flinched at the touch. His voice was kind, but the sentiment didn't extend beyond that. The harsh set of his mouth and dark gaze weren't pleasant or kind. "You'll have to excuse my daughter. You are a guest in this house and she's the one who arrived uninvited. You shouldn't be subjected to her baseless accusations."

Bella forced her hand to remain still beneath Carlisle's heavy grip, giving her enough time to decide whether she was going to become just another course for the daddy-daughter duo to eat alive.

"I'm glad to see you're making healthier choices, Mr. Cullen. This soup is practically nothing but cream and butter. Perhaps Charlton would be willing to whip up a clear-broth batch for you later."

A wicked grin curled Rose's lips as she brought the spoon to her mouth again. "I can't say I approve of anyone that makes me second-guess my baby brother's virginal status, but I might just be able to tolerate you."

"Oh Jesus Christ, Rose." Edward dropped his spoon into the empty bowl and leaned away from the table.

"Yes, yes, I know, Eddie. You're such a stud. Bedding all those MMA groupies. I wish I could say the patio was the first time I'd walked in on you…"

A blush rose on Bella's cheeks. And judging from the smirk on Rose's face, that's exactly the reaction she was going for. Bella silently scolded herself. It's not like she was Edward's girlfriend. They were just sleeping together, having some fun. She wasn't here to meet his parents.

 _Just what are you here for, Bella?_ She asked herself.

"Cut the shit, Rose." Edward sighed. "You're not here to regale Bella with the sordid details of my sexual conquests. And if you are, you probably shouldn't leave out your own strategic blow job that landed you a married man."

On that note, the main course was served. Their soup bowls were taken away and in their place, the chef and his assistant set down something red and bloody and perfectly in step with how Bella was feeling: hunted, raw and exposed. At least she wasn't the only one whose health was at risk with this dinner. She shot a sideways glance in Carlisle's direction. His silverware was already buried deep within the meat and he didn't spare a look in anyone's direction as he lifted a bite to his mouth.

"Maybe I just want to offer Bella a little transparency before things get too far." Rose's knife danced across her plate, suggesting she could carve out someone's heart just as easily as she could the steak. "Steak's delicious, isn't it, Daddy?"

Speaking around a mouthful, Carlisle spared a sharp glare in his daughter's direction. "I can stomach a lot, Rose, but I won't have you ruining a good filet mignon."

Rose lifted an eyebrow and pointed her fork in Bella's direction. "And you just let him eat whatever he wants? I thought you were here to make sure he kept on his road to recovery."

"Well I guess there's confusion all around," Bella said. "Does anyone know why they're here?"

Edward let out a yelp of laughter and slapped his hand to the table. The combination broke Rose's intimidating façade. She scowled around the table. First at Edward, then Bella and finally her father.

"Don't look at me, Rose." Carlisle said. "I know why I hired her. It's your role here I'm still unclear about."

"Did you ever think that maybe we don't need to hire someone to keep you alive and well? Maybe your family – those that love you – could care for you better than some hired hand?"

"She's a highly educated hired hand," Edward pointed out. "Top of her class at BU."

"How impressive. A graduate from a state college. Next you'll be telling me she got her master's at Worcester State."

"Nope," Bella started to say before Edward cut her off.

"Boston University again, I'm afraid." Edward finished for her.

Her gaze focused briefly on Edward before returning to Rose. They'd never talked about school; how did he know that? Out of the corner of her eye she didn't miss his crooked smirk, despite being hidden behind the wine glass he brought to his lips. Did she have a glass of wine? And, more importantly, why hadn't she noticed earlier?

She did, in fact, have a large goblet of red wine placed in front of her plate. Just when she thought her appetite had left her, Bella discovered alcohol held a certain appeal. Grasping the glass, she forced herself to sip, rather than gulp, the rich liquid.

"Huh," Carlisle snorted. "Which is it, Rose? Family or those who love me? It can't be both."

"Ah, the Cullen flare for the dramatic knows no bounds." Rose severed off a slice of steak and scraped her teeth against the fork as she brought it to her mouth.

"I'll say," Bella blurted out.

This time Edward didn't laugh out loud, but he did offer her a covert wink.

"Tell me, Bella, apart from your stellar academic career, what makes you the man for the job? Just who are you that you are going to get my father back on his feet and dancing with his wife in a few weeks?" Rose crossed her silverware and placed it on the plate. Apparently, her appetite has abandoned her as well.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to bring a resume to dinner," Bella replied. "Hell, I didn't even know there was going to _be_ a dinner." She gestured to the ridiculously spacious dining room with a flapping wave, careful not to upset her glass of liquid courage. "Besides, I thought I already had the job."

"Let's just say, my brother and I have slightly different criteria when it comes to hiring staff."

"So, you don't look for a good kisser with a tight ass?" Bella wished she could blame the wine, but she'd only had a few sips. She wondered if it didn't have more to do with that sexy smile that spread across Edward's face every time she said the unexpected. Or maybe she just enjoyed giving Rose a taste of her own medicine.

"I didn't realize that was the criteria," Carlisle said. "Here I was just following my doctor's referral."

His smile was verging on genuine, but Bella didn't care. She didn't need to explain herself or her qualifications. Her work spoke for itself. Carlisle was walking without his cane and they'd gotten in more sessions than Bella originally planned when she was first whisked away to the far reaches of Connecticut. Carlisle wasn't slacking, and neither was she.

"I think Bella's two-year internship with Quality Physical Therapy, the publication of her masters' thesis and her role as partner of Forks Physical Therapy speak for themselves." Edward pushed his plate away. How he managed to eat all that had been on it was a mystery to Bella, she hadn't so much as touched a single spear of asparagus yet. "She's qualified, Rose. More than qualified. And just look at the old man." He lifted a hand in Carlisle's direction, who raised an eyebrow at Edward. "He's walking well, has his energy back and actually looks pretty good… despite his age."

"You flatter me, son." Carlisle warned.

EPOV

Edward didn't really care if he flattered his father or not. It was Bella he was concerned about. Rose's third degree had gone on long enough. Edward knew Bella was good at her job. She was dedicated and caring and had already put up with enough without being subjected to Rose's violent mood swings. He hadn't brought her here to place her in Rose's crosshairs.

The very thought reminded him of the one close call Bella already had. Edward never meant for her life to be in danger and now her sanity was on the line too. He was doing everything he could to keep her safe and that included getting her the hell away from Rose as soon as possible.

With that thought in mind, he stood, pushing his chair back and tossing his napkin to the table.

"I think we're done here."

Rose looked up at him and somehow – as always – still seemed to be looking down at him. "I'm not. Sit down."

Edward grasped his wine glass and tipped the little that remained into his mouth before replacing it not so gently back down on the table. "No. I'm done."

He knocked his chair back another foot and stepped around it and right into Charlton, who was entering the room with a tray of dessert balanced in his arms. The panna cotta fared better than the coffee. That ended up spilling down the front of Charlton's crisp white chef's coat.

"Sorry, Charlton. Here, let me get that." Edward grabbed two of the glass dessert champagne flutes piled high with the creamy custard. There wasn't much that could be done about the coffee other than turning the cups upright. As for Charlton's coat… Edward wasn't about to do the laundry.

"Not to worry, sir." Charlton mumbled as he mopped at his coat briefly before setting the remaining desserts in front of Carlisle and Rose and then bustling back out of the room.

Edward didn't relinquish the desserts he held. Instead he walked over to Bella and placed his hand on the back of her chair. "Bella's done too. We'll be leaving you two to discuss the impressive grant Bella's practice just received from the Kennedy Foundation or just how we'll manage to eat our dessert without any spoons."

Draining her wine glass, Bella then stood with surprising agility and reached for her dessert.

"I can't imagine why you weren't invited to dinner, Rose, but it was… lovely to meet you."

Rose merely lifted an eyebrow, neither accepting nor questioning Bella's choice of adjective. Edward had to give her credit. She didn't owe Rose anything. He'd just as soon leave the room without another word. What was the point in expressing false pleasantries?

"And thank you," she continued. "For making me realize and appreciate just how kind and gracious my hosts have been."

Edward stifled a chuckle at the sudden downturn of Rose's lips. Without sparing Edward's sister another glance, Bella turned to Carlisle and raised her panna cotta in a mock salute.

"Enjoy your dessert, Carlisle."

Bella didn't really need Edward's hand against her lower back, encouraging their escape, but he placed it there anyway. A shock of electricity shot up his arm and straight to his chest. Those protective instincts he'd been so anxious to hide from Rose were bubbling to the surface now and he wanted nothing more than to get her alone. He practically counted the steps until they'd crossed the threshold from the dining room into the foyer.

"Thirteen," he mumbled under his breath.

Bella tossed a glance at him over her shoulder and he smiled crookedly as he mentally calculated just how many more steps until they were safely ensconced in his bedroom. Pressing his hand against her back again, letting his fingers curl towards her waist, Edward urged her toward the stairs.

Bella didn't say a word as they climbed the stairs, one flight after the next until they were finally at the floor where both bedrooms were. Edward wanted to steer her into his room, rid her of that damn sexy dress she was wearing and burn enough calories making up for the dinner from hell that they'd need to order up more dessert. A lot more dessert.

They reached the door to his bedroom and Bella suddenly turned.

"You have a chef."

It wasn't a question and also wasn't one of the top one hundred things he'd expected her to say after the fiasco in the dining room, but Edward wasn't about to remind her of the more glaring oddities of the dinner.

"Yes. Charlton's been with our family for years. Would you like me to arrange for you to critique each and every one of his recipes?"

Edward's attempt at a joke apparently fell flat as Bella ignored him.

"I thought you cooked."

Again, not a question. Hell, she seemed to be in a bit of a daze. Like she just walked away from a head-on collision and didn't realize yet what hit her.

 _That was my sister, Bella. The infamous Rosalie Cullen-King. Known for her biting sarcasm and bitter personality. Just another one of the reasons why you should stay far away from this family._

He wanted to say everything but that last sentence. Because although he knew it'd be best if she walked away now, he didn't think he could let her.

"I like to cook," he finally said. "We usually call Charlton in when we entertain so we're not pulled away from our hosting duties. I'm guessing Rose called him."

"Hmm, Rose." Bella said her name as though it was a taste she couldn't quite place. Like sautéed cat food or pickled peach cobbler.

Edward stepped closer to Bella. The move not only brought him within kissing distance but also allowed him to reach the doorknob to his room. Just one twist of his wrist and a little push and he'd have her inside where he could finally begin trying to salvage the evening. Yet Bella didn't budge. That haze in her eyes cleared and her eyebrows lifted as she looked up at him.

"Is your whole family crazy? Is that how she talks to your- your… everyone you sleep with?"

"Only the ones she thinks I care about." Edward felt his own gaze turn stark and serious.

"Oh," Bella said with a swallow.

Edward watched the line of her throat and his thoughts immediately headed for the gutter. Quick to retrieve them, he took another step forward, aching to touch the tense line of her jaw. Yet one hand was occupied with dessert and the other remained steadfastly in place on the doorknob.

"For the record," Edward said in a low voice. "I do care about you."

"Enough to leave me hanging out to dry with naked innuendos flying all over the place?" Bella said with narrowed eyes and a jerk of her head.

Edward sighed but refused to back off. "If it makes Rose think you're just another notch? Then, yes."

"Just how many notches are we talking about here?"

Bella's apparent jealousy was sexy as hell. However, smirking probably wasn't the best reaction because Bella promptly jabbed a fist into his midsection. Rubbing at his stomach, Edward dropped his gaze in mild supplication, but Bella didn't allow him the chance to apologize or explain.

"Why all the cloak and dagger bullshit? I get that I'm here to work but is there really anything wrong with you being happy?" Bella's hands found their way to Edward's stomach again, this time they clutched at his shirt and drew him in closer. She was so focused on her busy hands, when she finally looked up Edward was shocked to see something more than anxiety or fury on her face. "If you are happy, I mean."

She bit at her lip and Edward eased it from her teeth with the gentle tug of his thumb. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to do a whole lot more than that but first he needed to answer the question in her eyes.

"I am happy." Edward took a breath and held it, hoping his words would sink in before he let the other shoe drop. "Unfortunately, in my world, being happy only puts you at risk. You and me."

"Why?" Bella asked in a whisper, her hands moving up to frame his face. "What could happen?"

Leaning into her touch, Edward closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he hoped his expression hid the worry and fear he felt at allowing himself to feel anything for Bella at all. "You could get hurt."

"What could possibly hurt me?"

Her eyes were pleading with him. Begging for a lie. "Me," Edward growled.

BPOV

There was something else he wasn't saying. Bella could sense it. And whatever was holding him back clearly didn't run in the family. A loud shout sounded from downstairs, followed quickly by the shattering of glass and more yelling. Edward's jaw clenched, and his gaze darkened further. Without looking away from her, Edward spoke over his shoulder.

"See that my sister makes it to her ride safely."

It was only when Emmett's hulking shadow moved out of sight that Bella even realized he'd been standing there. Once again, privy to a personal moment between her and Edward.

 _Not nearly as personal as earlier._

She flushed at the thought and apparently that was all it took to soothe the tension from Edward's face. He chuckled and leaned into her, his breath warm on her face.

"Time for dessert."

Bella refused to be distracted. By Edward's easy charm or her traitorous body. As much as Bella loathed the awkward confrontation with Rose, there was one thing she couldn't deny: her role there was more uncertain than ever. It had started out as a job, and a coerced one at that. Who blackmails a physical therapist into helping his ailing father?

 _A gorgeous and sexy ex-MMA fighter with abs of steel who can wear the hell out of an expensive suit, that's who._

Shaking her head against the errant – albeit correct – thought, Bella forced her gaze to meet Edward's. "I don't think I should."

"Worried about the calories?" he smirked. "Because I can think of a few effective ways to burn them off."

"I'll have you know, Edward Cullen," Bella said as she poked a finger against his chest. "Using food as a reward or punishment is just as detrimental as any fad diet."

"What about sex?"

The sudden realization that touching Edward when he said words like 'sex' was a bad idea, Bella withdrew her finger and glared up at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "What about it?"

"Well, you make a good point about punishment and reward," Edward replied. "I'd say if that dinner you endured doesn't qualify as a punishment, then I don't know what does."

"And you're going to reward me with sex?" Bella was impressed at her ability to sound incredulous at his proposal because it didn't sound like a half-bad idea. At least not to the slightly crazed part of her brain that had spent the last week getting hopelessly addicted to the feeling of this man between her legs.

"I'll reward you however you like." His voice had taken on a low, raspy tone that curled Bella's toes into the soles of her sensible flats.

Bella considered Edward's lips and their dangerous proximity to her own. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps he could hurt her.

 _Not if it's just sex._

Bella wondered when she'd started lying to herself. It had more than 'just sex' almost since it had begun, whatever _it_ was. And if she crossed over that threshold and into his bedroom again, she doubted her willpower was strong enough to keep her clothes on and her hands to herself. Of course, the thought of Rose self-righteously narrating to Carlisle the sordid details of all she imagined Bella and Edward to be doing, provided just enough reinforcement should she feel her courage wavering.

Never one to turn down a challenge or dessert, Bella removed one of the nearly forgotten glasses from Edward's hand and turned to open the door. She could hear a ragged draw of breath come from behind her and hoped her resolve was a sturdy as the damn heavy door that slammed shut behind Edward.

A fainter thud echoed throughout the house and Edward lifted the corner of his lips when Bella turned.

"Sounds like Rose has left the building."

So much for that incentive.

Clutching her dessert tighter, Bella wondered why she'd even bothered entering his room. If she was going to turn him down – turn them all down – and leave Cullen Estate, why bother putting it off? She dipped her finger into the creamy custard, hoping the sugar would jolt her into action. And yet she didn't taste the panna cotta. That honor went to Edward, whose hand closed over hers, holding her finger to his lips. Slipping it into his mouth, he hummed around her finger and swirled his tongue quite thoroughly around it.

"You taste better without it," Edward said before sucking her finger back into his mouth. When he relinquished her hand, he didn't quite let go, instead choosing to hook a finger around hers and draw her close to him.

Her hand pressed against his chest, awaiting orders to either push him away or pull him closer. It waited patiently for her to make up her mind. Edward wasn't as patient.

"What are you waiting for?" He rasped. His tongue now danced along her neck and up to her jaw. "Open your reward." He brought a hand up to guide hers toward the buttons of his shirt.

"Awfully full of yourself," Bella managed to say in a breathy whisper that lacked any real conviction.

His laugh pulled pleasantly at some place deep within her stomach. "As you soon will be."

Bella's fingers were losing circulation from her grip on the goblet of panna cotta. It was either that or grab onto something else that was long and stiff.

Edward's persistent lips traveled to the corner of Bella's mouth. "I can't help it if I'm anxious. I fully plan on taking my own reward. I can't wait to taste you."

His tongue teased her bottom lip before his mouth closed over hers. She tried to kiss her frustration away, battling his tongue and trying not to imagine all the lovely things that particular appendage could accomplish given enough time. When they parted, Edward didn't waste any time in seeing what else his tongue could do. His hands – miraculously free of dessert all of a sudden – were quick to slip the straps of her dress over her shoulders. The lace undergarment she wore proved an insignificant foe for his tongue. Tugging at her nipple through the sheer fabric, Edward slipped a hand around her back to remove the obstacle with practiced ease. Once her breasts were free, his mouth roamed, eliciting soft sighs and whimpers from Bella's lips despite her ironclad willpower.

"Edward," she murmured. "Edward…this isn't a good idea."

Trailing his tongue over the pebbled point of her nipple, he spoke against her skin on his way across her chest. "Dinner wasn't a good idea. This is a great idea."

One of Bella's hands found its way into the mess of Edward's hair and she contemplated just dropping the damn panna cotta to the floor. It wouldn't be the first broken dish of the night after what she'd heard downstairs. The very thought stilled her fingers and she pushed his head away.

"I can't do this."

Edward rose his gaze to meet her, his hands gripping her sides. A low buzz of electricity thrummed against her skin and she knew if his hands started roaming her whole body would be set aflame. So why the hell was she stopping him?

"Why not, Bella?"

She swayed and discovered the wall directly behind her. Leaning against it, she dropped her head back and took a deep breath. The pure masculine scent of Edward – an intoxicating mix of musk and spice – threatened to cloud her thinking. She closed her eyes and took another breath.

"I should go."

"To your room?" His question was quiet and gone was the confident, husky voice that was so skilled at seduction.

She opened her eyes to see him watching her intently. Waiting for her to say that she had to leave. And so, she did.

"It's time. You said it yourself… your father has improved so much…"

"This isn't about my father."

"What is it about? Us?" Bella gestured weakly between them. What little distance separated them now seemed to be miles rather than inches.

"I don't see anyone else here," Edward said with a crooked smile. It was endearing and just as sexy as his scowl.

Bella shook her head and unconsciously reached out for him. He was quick to close the distance and allow her fingers to brush against his still-buttoned shirt. "This room's so fucking crowded, it's a wonder I can breathe."

The memory of his father's words that morning and his sister's interrogation just a few minutes earlier filled more than Edward's bedroom. They permeated the walls of the entire estate. She was unwelcome and unwanted.

"Funny. I feel the same way whenever I'm around you."

Bella's hand worked up to the collar of Edward's shirt. Her fingers toyed with the button there, her nerves getting the best of her. So maybe she wasn't completely unwelcome.

"I want you, Bella."

Edward's hand slipped down the length of Bella's arm, her skin tingling at his touch. He lifted the dessert goblet from her hand and placed it somewhere unseen beside her. When he brought his finger up to her lips, the tip covered in a dollop of cream, Bella's mouth began watering. The reaction had little to do with the dessert.

He brushed his finger along her lower lip and she couldn't resist slipping her tongue out to taste the sweetness coating his finger. A moan rumbled in Edward's chest. A sound Bella felt rather than heard, her hands still pressed against him and his shirt somehow half unbuttoned now. His finger paused against her lip, as if waiting for her to decide. Walk away or stay.

Bella nipped at his finger again and Edward eased it forward, his eyes dark with desire and a smile touching his lips. It disappeared quickly as Bella sucked his finger into her mouth, treating it to a long pull of her lips before allowing it to pop free.

"My turn," Edward groaned.

Before Bella could even imagine where the hell her panna cotta had gone, Edward was on his knees. His hands stroked the bare skin of her legs, disappearing beneath the skirt of her dress. Plunging her fingers into his hair again, she was rewarded with a wicked grin as Edward slowly drew her panties down her legs. He didn't look away as he eased them past her feet, removing her shoes along the way and carelessly tossing them over his shoulder.

"I've been looking forward to dessert all day," Edward said as he leaned forward to place an open-mouthed kiss to the inside of Bella's knee. His lips climbed higher, her skirt rising in his hands.

"Me too," Bella admitted against her better judgment. Dessert – this kind of dessert – should be the last thing on her mind. Hadn't she been about to leave? Give her notice? Walk out the door and never look back? And yet none of that mattered. All that mattered was erasing the memory of the last hour and a half from her mind. And Edward's mouth was doing a damn good job on that front.

Edward's firm grip grasped one of Bella's legs and eased it over his shoulder, opening her to his mouth. A low growl rumbled off his lips as he closed his mouth over her.

"Fuck," she breathed as his tongue swept over each and every trembling inch of her core. The word triggered more than her consent, it unleashed a fury Edward had been holding at bay. He devoured her.

Rising to his knees, he pulled her close and stroked his tongue deep within her. Her legs trembled, and her breath caught in her chest. The hungry sounds emanating from his throat hummed through her body and shot down her legs. Her stomach lifted and flipped and turned inside out. Driving her heel into Edward's back, she tried to pull him closer. His teeth scraped at her clit, the feather-light touches driving her wild. His tongue replaced his teeth, followed by his lips, sucking and tugging and coaxing her orgasm forward in a crashing wave of unyielding pleasure. Her legs shook, and her hands tangled in his hair. Bella couldn't imagine ever letting him go. Thankfully he didn't seem to be in a hurry to move either. Edward moaned loudly as he drank in every last drop of her arousal. Each teasing stroke of his tongue prolonged the shivers quaking through her body. Falling to the wall behind her again, Bella pulled him with her, his mouth moving along her inner thighs now and up and around to her stomach – replacing her foot to the floor in the process - until he was standing before her.

Edward's hand trailed along her leg and finally came to rest where his mouth had been. Her body pulsed and shivered where his fingers made lazy circles, enticing the trembling to continue. The waves crashed and receded, again and again, anxious to draw in any part of him that was near.

"Just so you know, I'm planning on having seconds." Edward brushed a strand of her hair back and lowered his lashes as looked down at her. The move was likely well practiced and with good reason. One look in those hooded green eyes and Bella was weak in the knees all over again. The man could fuck with his mouth, his finger and his eyes. The question remained: was there a part of him that wasn't sexy?

Plenty of answers popped up in Bella's mind. Most involved members of his extended family and as Edward so succinctly pointed out earlier, they weren't here now. So, it seemed ridiculous to dwell on it.

"When do I get dessert?" Bella finally asked, unable to keep her hands from unbuttoning the rest of Edward's shirt.

He shrugged out of it and sent it off to mingle with her shoes and panties. The heat of his skin burned through the thin fabric of her dress when he took a step toward her, pressing her flush against the wall. Every inch of his body was taut and ready. Taut being a minor understatement for certain parts of his lower anatomy.

"What did you want to taste?" Edward asked, his eyes darting to where he must've stashed the actual dessert. As if Bella wanted to fill her mouth with panna cotta when Edward's lips were right in front her.

Lifting to her toes, Bella brought a hand to Edward's face, the other still very happy to rest against the rounded muscles of his chest. She placed a tentative kiss to his lips, lingering just a moment before pulling back.

"Is that all?" He asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"No," Bella breathed as she leant back in for more.

This time she parted her lips against his and their tongues pulled at each other. The intertwining strokes only brought them closer together and finally Bella gave up trying to match his height. He didn't even flinch as she wrapped her legs around him, anchoring her arms around his shoulders and holding on tight. Edward's hands found her ass in record time and hefted her onto him, a move that elicited a single low moan from him. She swallowed the sound and went back for more, making sure to move her hips just enough to tease the erection tenting his pants.

As content as Bella was to continue kissing Edward for the rest of her life, she was just as thrilled when he moved backwards before suddenly spinning and dropping her to the bed. Their lips never parted, and Edward hovered just above her, adding his own hip thrusts to the ones she'd bestowed upon him. Her legs ached with the effort of holding his body to hers and Bella finally let go and pushed back on his chest just enough to catch her breath.

Panting as their lips still reached for one another, Bella ran her hands over every inch of Edward's bare chest and beyond. His abs flinched beneath her touch and Bella ached to have more of him. All of him.

"Take off your pants," she said.

That sexy grin was back and received a kiss from Bella before she pushed on his chest again and repeated herself. "Take off your pants."

"Plan to have your way with me, do you?" Edward asked as he straightened up. His hands fell to his waist, resting just above the fine cut of his pants. They were fitted just perfectly to allow a glimpse of the diagonal cuts of muscle that converged precisely where his impressive bulge resided. "As you wish, Miss Swan."

Edward slipped his belt from its buckle and pulled it from the beltloops with enough care to make it sexy but not so slow as to keep her waiting. There was nothing wrong with a little show, but Bella had already waited long enough for the main attraction. He popped the button on his pants and lifted his gaze to hers, those dark eyes hooded once again. They teased and tormented almost as well as that crooked smile of his. When his fingers fell to the zipper and started pulling it down, Bella lifted to her elbows to watch the big reveal. Edward bit back a moan as he worked the zipper down. The thick head of his cock bobbed out from between the flaps of his pants, which he now quickly shoved down his legs and kicked to the floor. A bead of precum eased from the slit, his cock swollen and thick.

"Does it hurt?" Bella asked as she lifted a foot towards his jutting cock. When she brushed her toe against his tip, he hissed and gritted his teeth.

"It's been nearly twelve hours since I've been buried inside you. I'm in fucking agony."

Bella made to pull her foot away, but Edward grabbed hold of her ankle. "Don't stop," he said.

His fingers slipped along the bottom edge of her foot, guiding her back toward his straining cock. She flexed her toes and caressed the sizable length of smooth skin. Edward hummed and moaned and wrapped his fingers tightly around her foot as she continued stroking against him.

"Who knew you had a foot fetish?" Bella wondered out loud, secretly thrilled to discover something new about this man standing before her.

A laugh mixed in with those sexy grunts and he clutched her foot tighter still. Bella could watch him for hours. The powerful stance of his muscular legs, firmly planted wide and confident and his cock jutting out, roped with thick veins. The way he held her foot she could imagine how he looked while jerking off. The thought was enough to make Bella squirm as she watched the muscles in his arms shift and flex. The room was dimly lit but seemed designed to highlight all of Edward's best features: his square jaw speckled with bronze hairs, the long lashes closed over his eyes and that tousled mess Bella's hands were itching to mess up some more.

Edward opened his eyes, displaying yet another one of Bella's top ten. "When the foot belongs to you," he said with a tug on her toe. "The view doesn't hurt either." His gaze dropped an infinitesimal amount, drawing Bella's attention to the state of her dress. The short skirt had ridden up her hips. Between that and being pantie-less with one leg stretched toward Edward, she knew exactly what he was looking at. He licked his lips and that involuntary quiver rocketed through Bella's body again. The man was going to make her come without touching more than her toe.

"I think I'm ready for my dessert," said Bella.

"My specialty," Edward replied.

He placed her foot on the bed and turned to the bedside table. The move allowed Bella the perfect view of asset number five on her ever-growing list. When he turned back with a condom in hand, already rolling it on, Bella decided it was time to lose her dress. And so, she did. Discarding it somewhere off the side of the bed, she curled her legs beneath her and knelt before Edward as he strode back to the bed. Each step set his cock bouncing enticingly and Bella reached for him as he climbed atop the bed. Her hands joined his, ensuring the condom was snug and secure.

 _It never hurts to doublecheck,_ Bella thought as she stroked his length a couple more times.

Edward's knees bumped against Bella's, effectively getting as close as possible without climbing on top of her. Which Bella supposed she should remedy as quickly as possible. He unfolded his legs and stretched them out, providing Bella a nice obstacle to traverse. Crawling up the length of his body, Bella watched Edward's gaze shift from her face to her tits and back again until she was poised over his cock.

With one hand behind him, serving to prop himself up, Edward wrapped the other around the base of his cock and stroked its tip between her soaking folds. Bella clutched at the ridged muscles of his abs, hands scrambling along the planes of his chest before settling around his shoulders, so her hands could be lodged back in his hair where they belonged. Only then did she sink down onto him with a whimper she barely recognized as her own.

"Oh God," she murmured against his lips. Sinking down further still, Bella felt impossibly full when she finally came to rest firmly upon Edward's lap. Her thighs pressed against his hips, inner walls drawing him in with a shudder that forced her own hips to move.

"Bella," Edward spoke her name like a curse and a prayer at the same time. He leant into her, capturing her mouth with his own and bringing a hand to her waist, encouraging her movements. His other hand remained where they were joined, and his thumb now stroked at her clit as she rocked back and forth. She drew him in deeper and deeper as a fevered tingling built from where his thumb was touching.

She rose up on him, tongue anxiously seeking his out, hands scratching through his hair. With a rapid thrust, Bella pulled him back in and immediately drew up again. Edward didn't need to move as Bella used him for her pleasure. He followed her lead and returned her anxious kisses while coaxing her orgasm forth with his thumb. She chased it down, moving faster and faster until she was falling apart around him. Her hands slipped down to his shoulders, slick with sweat and unable to find purchase anywhere, they settled for roaming everywhere.

Edward lavished kisses down the length of Bella's neck, nipped at what he could reach of her breasts and she frantically pushed him down on the bed. His arms wrapped around her as she stretched her legs out, holding him deep within. Edward moved his hips now, thrusting into her slowly as her legs shook from exhaustion.

In a move Bella vaguely recognized as one Edward may have used in the ring, she found herself beneath him. The flip in position allowed Edward perfect access to her breasts and he took full advantage. Holding himself up on straight arms, he ducked his head down to flick his tongue against her nipples, teasing and taunting as Bella felt that desire building in her again.

She lifted her hips and Edward drove into her as he bit at her nipple. Her body writhed beneath him, chest rising to find his mouth, hips seeking out the delicious friction his cock bestowed upon the aching center of her core.

When Edward lifted his head, a few coppery curls fell across his forehead, only adding to the sexy tousled look he wore so well. Using his arms as leverage, he thrust back and forth with increasing force. The telltale tingling that usually started in her clit came now from somewhere deep inside. An unknown spot that shuddered and rose to a near crescendo with each drive of Edward's cock. Bella chased it down, urging Edward to move deeper and faster, seeking that delicious crash that would surely wreck her for any other man.

With a grunt and a low moan, Edward worked deep and fast, barely leaving the tight confines of her body and suddenly she felt it. A cresting burst of pleasure that shot straight to her already-racing heart. Her inner walls found a rhythm with the pulsing of Edward's cock as he finally let go. A slick sheen of sweat covered both of their bodies and Bella wrapped her legs around Edward's backside, afraid they'd slip apart before she was ready.

Rolling onto his side, Edward held her close and took her with him. Laying his head down next to hers, his eyes fell shut as he struggled to catch his breath. Bella's own breathing was ragged, and racing and she felt utterly spent. Bringing a hand to the side of Edward's face, she gently brushed at an errant lock of hair and then the scruff along his jaw. Her fingertips danced across his lips and over his eyelids, memorizing the lines of his face and how he looked in this moment. She finally traced her finger down his neck and along his collarbone before pressing her palm against the frantic beating of his heart. She wondered how her own sounded to him. Surely, he could hear it. After all, its beats matched Edward's. They were in perfect sync.

"Give me a minute and I'll get you seconds," he murmured without opening his eyes.

 _Yup_ , Bella thought. _Perfectly in sync._

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading... I know how frustrating it is to get invested in a story and have it updated so infrequently, so I appreciate you hanging in there. Wish I could say there was some combination of magical words that would get me to write faster... but the best I can do is tell you how much your reviews mean to me and they certainly don't hurt the process. ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I have no good excuse. The bad ones however are as follows: busy, no time, real-world responsibilities, blah, blah, blah... and my personal favorite, the smut-shaming reviews (i.e. "This is disgusting.") and the ones reminding me of the site's policy on Rated M material and I should edit the story to make it appropriate. So... consider me a rebel. One possibly without a story but what the hell would this be without all that "disgusting stuff?" Am I right? What the hell are you doing here anyway? ;) Or am I wrong and do you want to read about Edward and Bella talking about mob-run businesses between PT appointments? Because I'll write what you want to read... I'm just saying.**

 **So without further adieu, herein lies a chapter full of lemons featuring characters I didn't create and don't own. Read it while it lasts.**

EPOV

They never really went to sleep. After they had seconds, they indulged in thirds and fourths until they lost count. At least Edward did. He couldn't speak for Bella but the faraway look in her eyes as she lay by his side was proof enough. Apparently, having Rose over for dinner wasn't the worst idea in the world. Maybe next time Edward would actually invite her.

 _Next time_ , he thought. Even if he convinced Bella to stay, it wouldn't last forever. Couldn't last forever. Eventually she would leave.

"What are you thinking?" Bella's voice shook Edward from his thoughts. Thoughts he had no intention of sharing with her. If his goal was to keep her around, he certainly wasn't about to remind her that she'd wanted to leave.

Edward rolled to his back and stretched an arm out to rest behind his head. Bella accepted the open invitation he extended with his other arm and drew in close to him, resting her head against his chest.

"Nothing I can say in the presence of a lady." He smirked at the ceiling, remembering just how unladylike her screams had been earlier.

Bella stifled a snicker against his bare skin. "You didn't seem to feel that way a few minutes ago." She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him. The smile on her face was an amalgamation of wicked satisfaction and wide-eyed innocence.

It was that look that got to him the most. The open admiration, an expression that should be reserved for men who were good and honorable. The sort of man Bella Swan should be in bed with. Swallowing back the feeling of not being good enough, Edward opted to treat the emotion the same way he treated common sense and responsibility: by ignoring it.

"Did we order food?" Bella asked, her gaze shifting to the bedside table just out of her reach.

Without looking, Edward knew she was looking at a towering tray of fresh berries, honey and cheese. The coffee was likely cold, but Emmett had insisted. Something about them needing the caffeine after what little sleep they got. Although Bella's obvious surprise was proof enough that she'd fallen asleep at some point. Or at least was otherwise distracted.

Edward snagged a strawberry and presented it to Bella on a toothpick. She accepted it, taking a bite and immediately drawing his eyes to her mouth. She hummed around the fruit as she took another bite.

"Taste good?" Edward asked gruffly.

Bella nodded as she plucked the strawberry from the toothpick and popped it into her mouth. She brandished the toothpick with a sly smile. "Hey look. It's your old bedpost."

Edward groaned and took the toothpick, tossing it back on the tray.

"How did you know where I went to school?" She asked, thankfully changing the topic before he had to.

"Google," he replied.

Bella twisted her lips at his obvious cop-out. "And my partnership at work? I know that's not online. I was only offered it a week before coming here." Planting her hand more firmly against his chest, Bella lifted onto her elbow and stared down at him with a suspicious gaze that was turning him on more than she probably intended it to. Plus, there were her bare breasts to consider. Which he did, briefly.

"Edward," Bella scolded. She playfully swatted at him. "If you can't keep your eyes up here, maybe you should keep them closed."

Edward dutifully obeyed and shut his eyes.

"Seriously?" She laughed. "You have that little self-control?"

"Around you I do," he said. "Besides, I sense the third degree coming on and I want to be prepared. Ask away."

She didn't say anything right away, but Edward had no trouble imagining what she looked like. Hair tossed carelessly over one shoulder, stopping short of those delectable breasts his mouth was watering for. Her lips stained with strawberry as she sunk her teeth into them, no doubt. Trying to figure out what to ask him first and not even bothering to feint ignorance. Bella was the sort of person who sought answers, fixed problems. It had to be driving her crazy that he knew all about her and she didn't know nearly as much about him. Ordinarily that was just the kind of imbalance Edward thrived on. Tonight, though, it seemed unfair. Just so long as he was careful, he would be as honest with her as possible. All the more reason to keep his eyes closed and maintain concentration.

"Where- or, I mean, did you go to school?" As she asked the question, Edward could feel the tips of her hair brush against his side. He hoped she would settle back against him, but she didn't.

"I did," Edward replied. "Graduated Kindergarten with high honors and everything."

"Not what I meant," she said with a laugh. "College. Did you go to college?" Her voice grew in volume just enough to prepare Edward for the warmth of her body as it pressed in against his side once again. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he held her close and desperately tried to unscramble his thoughts.

 _How is it that just touching her does that to me?_ He wondered vaguely, thoughts still properly scrambled.

"Yes," he finally said. "Dad bought me a degree from Harvard."

"Oh, do they sell those in the gift shop?"

Edward chuckled. "Not quite. The trade-off for that pretty little piece of paper was a shiny new student athletic complex."

"You weren't a good student?" Bella asked.

"I might have been. I suppose one has to go to class in order to find out."

"So, I've heard."

Bella stretched her legs out beneath the sheets, the length of her body pressed against his. She likely did it more for comfort than anything but with his eyes closed, it was hard for Edward to concentrate on anything other than the heat of her body burning into his.

"I wasn't really interested in anything other than fighting or training to fight. Dad thought it'd be a good idea for me to get a degree and I knew he'd pay for me to get it one way or another." Edward paused, waiting to see if Bella had a follow-up and decided to offer his own when she remained silent. "I don't believe much in second chances, but I like to think I'd do things differently if I could do it all over again."

"Hmm," Bella hummed in agreement and once again the heat of her hand found a home on his chest. Reflexively, Edward's own hand came down over hers. "What did you major in… I mean aside from pumping iron and, presumably, frat parties."

A smile split Edward's face and he knew she must've seen it by the soft giggle she let out. "I'll have you know; Sigma Chi was no walk in the park. You think those kegs were going to empty themselves?"

"I suppose nearly as well as the co-eds would sleep with themselves."

Edward took a deep breath. "Are we going there, Bella?"

"Absolutely not," she said, her hand tightening beneath his. "I was joking. I don't think I want to know-"

"Me either," he interrupted her.

"What?"

"I'll tell you all the sordid details if you really want them. I'm just as embarrassed about those as I am about my fake degree. I just don't know if I can handle hearing your list." He let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. It scared him how much it suddenly mattered that he not think of Bella with anyone else. This time it was his grip that tightened on her.

"My list," Bella mused under her breath. "Are we at list-swapping already?"

Edward listened to Bella's steady breathing for a minute. Honesty was a tricky thing. There were millions of ways to avoid the truth or talk around it and suddenly Edward was tired of doing both.

"Depends on what type of list you're talking about." His voice was low, and he feared it'd only get deeper if he continued down the track he'd started on. "I could easily name my five favorite parts of your body without opening my eyes."

Edward expected her to laugh or maybe swat at him again. However, he hoped she'd slip her leg over his and lean in closer, holding her breath to hear what he would say. Hope won out.

"In no particular order… your hair." Edward's hand trailed up from Bella's waist to tug at her hair. He wound a bit around his finger and brushed at the silky strands with his thumb.

Leaning her head against his chest, she pulled against his hold on her and Edward bit back a groan. The heat from between her legs was burning against his side and the thought of curling her hair around his fist while he took her from behind wasn't helping matters.

Clearing his throat, Edward relinquished his hold on her. "That line of freckles just above your left ribcage." His hand traced the vicinity of the spot he spoke of.

"My freckles?" Bella asked in a breathless voice.

"Mmm," Edward hummed. "They're the perfect road map to my next favorite body part."

If the way Bella's heartbeat thudded against his chest was any indication, she was anticipating the obvious answer. And while Edward was still having a hard time getting the thought – and taste- of Bella's breasts out of his mind, he wasn't about to give her the obvious answer.

Splaying his hand out across her ribcage, his fingers stretched out between the valley of her perfect breasts. The racing pulse of her heart thrummed against his fingertips. "Your… heart."

"My h-heart?" The hitch in Bella's voice did little to conceal the breathlessness there.

"What you do is all heart," Edward explained in a low voice. "Helping people to feel better and regain control over their lives. That's admirable and pretty damn selfless."

"It's not that selfless," Bella said. "I do get paid."

"Not nearly enough."

"Don't tell me you know my salary."

"Okay, I won't," Edward said with a chuckle that was joined by Bella's own throaty laughter. It was funny only in that she knew he'd have that information. Her salary, on the other hand, was hardly a laughing matter. He had no idea how someone with the education Bella had, doing the work she did, could be so vastly underpaid. "On the other hand, your resting heart rate is pretty damn impressive."

An unladylike snort was followed by Bella's blatant skepticism. "Are you suggesting that you know my resting heart rate?"

"Mm-hm." Edward hummed in confirmation, sensing that she'd leant in toward him. Whether intentionally or not, he could practically taste her on the air and wanted to gather the sweetness of her lips on his own. He'd trail kisses down the graceful length of her neck until her pulse raced beneath his mouth. "Fifty-eight."

"Oooh, looks like your informant failed you this time, Mr. Cullen." Bella's hand danced across his chest. He trapped it and held it against his own beating heart.

"What is it then?" he asked.

"Forty-two." Her whisper was followed by the lightest of touches to the shell of his ear. Was it her tongue? Her lips? Either was good but not enough because he didn't feel it again.

"It's never been that low around me," Edward replied.

"Well I never seem to be resting when you're around," Bella countered. "What are the other two? You said you had five favorite body parts-"

"Correction," Edward interrupted. "I said I'd give you my list of the top five. My list of favorites goes well into the double digits."

"Hmm." Bella's hum sent shivers racing across his skin that were offset by the warmth of her body as she pressed in closer to him. Edward didn't imagine she could get any closer, what with her legs tangled in his, breasts pressed against his chest. Yet, somehow, she moved in closer still.

He brushed the edge of his hand against the underside her breast, continuing a slow trail down the length of her torso and over the swell of her hip. Edward could practically feel the electricity sparking in the wake of his touch. Stretching his fingers out against her thigh, he lifted his head just enough to nip at what tasted like her neck. "Your legs. These strong, lean, muscular legs that were built to go for miles."

"Are we talking on the road…"

Edward nearly opened his eyes, desperate to peek at the sly grin he was sure was on her face now. Instead he screwed them shut tighter and nodding emphatically. "Where else would I mean?"

"Well, you don't seem so fond of actually letting me run on the road."

"Oh, I'm not fond of it. In fact, you can be pretty damn sure I'm not a fan of anything that might bring harm to you."

"You know running is actually good for you." Bella folded her hands across his chest and from the feel of it, Edward would've guessed that she rested her chin atop her hands and was peering up at him with his most favorite feature.

Opening his eyes just as Bella shifted, Edward stifled a groan as her leg slipped between his. He'd been hard since Bella first asked what he was thinking about and now the combination of her thigh pressing against him with the slick heat of her center straddling his hip, Edward was ready to do a little less talking.

"Oh, decided you can behave now, did you?" Bella grinned up at him. Those big brown eyes smiled from their perch atop her hands, just as he imagined. "So, what's number five?"

He reached out and stroked the side of her face with his fingertips. She felt perfect in his arms, molded to the length of his body, stealing his breath with her beauty. His thumb caressed the delicate skin along her cheekbone. "Five."

Her long lashes fluttered, shielding her eyes for a second. But a second wasn't long enough to hide what he saw there. Bella's heart was nowhere near her supposed resting heart rate and the reason why was plain to see. It was now fear and panic that seized Edward's breath. He couldn't have her looking at him like that.

 _No matter how much I like it,_ his thoughts betrayed him.

The recent memory of Bella's decision to leave chose that moment to resurface in his mind and the vice around his heart only tightened. It would be for the best. Before those beautiful brown eyes did him in. And yet he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her now. Not with her warm, smooth skin pressed so intimately against his. Beneath the covers, he smoothed his hand along the gentle curve of her hip and onto her firm backside. His fingers were mere inches from where they wanted to be.

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Bella spoke in a hushed whisper.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one having a hard time breathing. Coincidence or a potential carbon monoxide leak, Edward didn't have time to ponder the cause.

"My favorite body part of yours?" Bella twisted the corner of her mouth in a wickedly delightful grin. "I'm afraid my answer will disappoint you. It's fairly predictable."

Edward's cock swelled with pride, the sudden rush of arousal causing his hips to twitch against her. The move only made her smile grow bigger. The direct correlation between the size of his cock and Bella's smile wasn't lost on Edward.

"Mmm," Bella moaned through her grin, sliding a hand beneath the sheets. "Disappointed?"

As her hand closed around him Edward couldn't remember the meaning of the word.

"Fuck no," he groaned.

"You know, despite your extensive research, I think you missed a few key Bella fun facts."

Her grip was just right, gentle yet firm. His cock throbbed in her hand and she answered the pulse with a measured tug that was just slow enough to drive him crazy.

"Please, enlighten me," replied Edward.

"Well, I love the water. It doesn't matter if it's a pool or the ocean… so long as I'm wet."

Sordid images of taking Bella in the estate's pool flashed through Edward's mind.

"Slick, smooth, the way my skin slips through the water." She rolled her hips against him and all thoughts of the pool vanished. Bella didn't need a pool, she was already drenched.

Edward's fingers sought out the very wetness she spoke of. His hand resting firmly on her ass, he slipped a finger along her soaking slit and reveled in the moan that spilled from her lips.

"What else?" he asked, curiosity second in line only to the burgeoning arousal her hand continued to stoke.

Bella had dropped her head to his chest on his first stroke and now, as he settled into a torturously slow pace that matched hers, she lifted her face to his. A flush had settled across her cheeks, lip bitten firmly beneath her teeth. When she finally released it, Edward reached up to kiss at the pale indents already fading there.

"I have a real weakness for- "she broke off with a gasp, hips rocking against his leg for one wild second.

Edward didn't fight the smile from erupting on his face. He really did want to know her weakness, but he had no trouble finding some of them out on his own. Clit stroking was definitely on the list. Returning to his quiet exploration, he schooled his expression and lifted his eyebrows at her, the picture of innocence. "You were saying?"

"I was saying," Bella said through gritted teeth. "That I have a real weakness for… popsicles."

"Popsicles?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded. "Not just any old kind though. I need a Rocket Pop. Big, thick, long."

She punctuated her words with a twisting tug that wiped away the remnants of Edward's smug smile.

"Do you want to know how I eat it, Edward? How I lick it all around, swirl my tongue around the top and then swallow it whole before it drips?" She inched closer until her words were spoke against his neck, just seconds before her tongue marked a trail to his jaw.

Edward swallowed thickly. Bella's wicked words were in direct contrast to the sweet innocence in her eyes as she pulled back to look at him. If she kept looking at him like that he was going to be making love to her instead of fucking her. And there was only one thing that could lead to: her leaving. The slow, sensual sort of love-making he was envisioning was the perfect sort of a bookend to their short-lived relationship. And while he now knew he had to push her away, saying goodbye like that would be too much to bear.

"Show me." His voice was rough and raw. He hoped it sounded like he was turned on. Only turned on. Nothing more.

Bella's lips spread into a wide grin that she traced quickly with the tip of her tongue. And despite the very loud warning go off in his head, Edward lifted up to kiss her satisfied smile into submission. Bella responded the way he knew she would. With intoxicating enthusiasm and complete abandon. Her hands left his cock to frame his face as she climbed onto his lap. The heat at her center was matched only by the warmth of her skin as it pressed against him. His tongue stroked at hers, deepening their kiss until they were both nearly breathless. He wanted to hold onto her forever. Stay in this bed with her straddling his cock and wrapped in his arms while the rest of the world went on without them. Relinquishing his hold on her lips long enough for them to catch their breath, Edward molded his mouth to hers once more and took everything she had to give.

Bella broke away and before Edward could pull her back in, she distracted him with a devious roll of her hips. The unsheathed skin of his cock throbbed against her slick heat. With one hand still on the side of his face, she trailed her other hand down the length of her body before dipping a single digit between her legs. When she presented her glistening fingertip to him, Edward didn't wait to be teased, nor did he linger. Closing his lips around her finger, he sucked at the taste of her arousal and realized the best course of action would solve two problems at once.

"Turn around," he said as Bella slipped her finger from his mouth. Impatient, now that he had a plan in place, Edward eased her leg over him before laying down to guide her hips back until he had the perfect view.

Bella's hair fell against his legs, her mouth mere inches from his straining cock as she knelt over him.

"Sixty-nine just happens to be my favorite number," Bella mused as she peered up at Edward.

Edward answered with a growl and maybe some words that indicated his enthusiastic agreement. The problem of wanting to taste Bella was about to be solved, as was the need to keep her at as much of a distance as was possible while also still fucking.

Pulling her hips down, Edward put his tongue to better use than stringing together barely coherent sentences. He circled her clit and sucked at the bundle of nerves there and dipped his tongue deep within her well of arousal, all while his cock bobbed in wild search of its own relief. With each of Bella's soft gasps, her breathe grew hotter and hotter until finally her lips closed over the head of his cock. His hips lifted from the bed and Bella moved, keeping his tip firmly between her lips. With sharp flicks of her tongue, she teased his slit and he answered her movements of his own assault on her clit.

Bella arched her back and Edward fought to hold her still. His grip was tight on her hips, his mouth returning to its thorough exploration. It was then that Bella devoured him. With a hum and a swallow, she took him in and had him seeing spots. He hit the back of her throat and broke away from her long enough to swear loudly as she dragged her mouth slowly off him.

"Holy shit, Bella."

"Did you like that, Edward?" Bella was licking around the rim of his head and then tracing the veins along his length with the tip of her tongue. She placed a sucking kiss here and there, the pressure just enough to hold him teetering on edge. One more swallow and he'd be done.

"I g-guess it was o-okay." His attempt at cool and casual was blown quicker than his orgasm by his embarrassing stammer.

"Maybe I should try it again." The offer was genial enough, but Edward couldn't help but hear it as a threat.

Tightening his hold on her thighs, Edward gritted his teeth. "Go ahead," he accepted the challenge and immediately sealed his mouth against her. With one strong stroke against her inner walls after another, Edward tried his best to even the playing field. But his efforts barely mattered when the heat of her lips came in contact with his cock again.

Barely loosening her grip on his head, Bella eased him past her lips and deep into her mouth. She swallowed once, twice, before pulling back and then pushing forward again. It was the third swallow that did it. That was the one that had Edward gasping for air, unable to warn Bella in time and then thoroughly impressed as she swallowed him once again and drank every last drop of his orgasm.

A litany of swears came as hard and fast as he did. Edward's body went rigid with pleasure and yet he refused to loosen his grip on Bella. He wouldn't let her go. And didn't currently have the brain power to determine whether his intentions were gentlemanly or selfish. Because while he had every intention of reciprocating Bella's mind-blowing lip service, he wasn't sure he wouldn't try to pleasure her into long-term submission.

BPOV

She had to leave. Now. Before Edward could numb her legs and cloud her mind with the miraculous work of his tongue because she knew, whether it was between her legs or merely speaking, he would convince her of anything he wanted. And her body was already convinced.

She sat up and eased her leg from Edward's grip with mild difficulty. Even as she knelt beside him, his hand stayed on her. As did the boyish grin on his face. A grin that promised infinite pleasure almost as surely as it promised inevitable heartache.

How was it that this man who looked so like his father – his ruthless, heartless father – didn't come close to resembling him in moments like this? Was this her doing? She couldn't possibly be the reason for the constant worry to vanish from his eyes, could she? Tracing a finger over the space between his eyebrows that was often home to a stern crease, Bella smiled at the sound that rumbled in Edward's chest.

"I have to go," she said so quietly she wasn't sure he heard her. Or that she wanted him to hear.

Edward's gaze shot to hers. The innocent pleasure there was replaced in an instant by anger or worry or a strange mix of both before all of that disappeared. All that remained was the steely gaze of the stoic man whom she met her first day at Cullen Estate. And while the look wasn't altogether unattractive, it wasn't the one she'd grown to-

 _Grown to what, Bella?_ She bit her lip against the curse she wanted to scream inwardly and outwardly. When had things gotten so out of hand?

Edward's large hand closed over hers, bringing it down from his forehead to rest against his lips. He kissed her palm, his eyes closing briefly. Bella held her breath until he opened his eyes. A flash of green fire burned through his detached façade. He could pretend to keep his distance, but Bella couldn't be fooled. He held more than her hand in his. But just so long as neither of them were admitting the truth to themselves, Bella was happy to play along.

 _Maybe happy is the wrong word_ , Bella thought as her stomach flipped at the thought of packing her bags and walking away.

"Before you go," Edward began as Bella's stomach dropped. "I need to give you something."

"Okay," Bella managed to say. Had she expected him to put up more of a fight? Seduce her into distraction again? And why was she disappointed that he wasn't?

"Don't look so worried," Edward said with a smirk. He dropped her hand to the bed and reached over to stroke the bare skin of her thigh with his other hand. "I'm being selfish if I make you stay."

"I thought being selfish was one of your more persistent personality traits," Bella shot back.

His low chuckle shook the bed and did funny things to Bella's already-turbulent stomach. "Oh, I have a feeling I'll like what I have to give you just as much as you will. In fact, I know I will."

His fingers were skating remarkably close to the apex of Bella's thighs, where she still throbbed with the memory of his tongue. The pleasure that had been building low in her belly and then pushed aside by her recent array of distracting thoughts now came fluttering back to life as Edward's gaze tracked the length of her body.

"Two, Bella." Edward finally said.

"Two?" There was that breathless whisper again.

He grinned up at her before looking back down as his thumb stroked at the sensitive crease between her legs. She shuddered at his touch and pressed against the pad of his thumb until it slipped between her folds and rubbed at her clit. Edward bit his lip on a groan and glanced up at her again.

"Orgasms," he clarified. "I need to give you two orgasms before you go."

Bella lifted to her knees, allowing him better access, only to have his hand move to her hip.

"I want one on my tongue and one on my cock." He guided her leg back over his body and urged her upward with a tight grip on her ass. "So, I am being a little selfish." His eyebrow lifted along with the corner of his mouth and then he licked his lips.

Bella scooted up the length of Edward's body until she was straddling his chest, anxious to take all he was offering.

"Just say the word and I'll call Emmett in to tell him to pack your bags."

The offer was both a threat and a gift. If she denied him, she'd be staying. If she accepted, she'd get one last chance to engage her voyeuristic tendencies. Bella traced a finger along Edward's plump lower lip.

"Call him."

One hand left her ass and must've sought out some hidden call button somewhere because the door opened mere seconds later.

"Hold onto the headboard," Edward warned as he lifted Bella over his face.

Her hands clamped down on the sturdy wooden bed frame just as Emmett's large shadow fell against the wall. She could barely make him out from where he stood just inside the room, but he'd entered from some side door she never noticed before. It was positioned on the wall behind the bed, affording him the perfect view of Bella's upper half. Before she could consider how much he could see and how long he would stand there, Edward spoke against her lower lips.

"See to it that Ms. Swan's bags are packed and loaded in the car." His hot breath tickled her skin and sent shivers rocketing down her legs. "But leave the strawberries."

And then his tongue was on her. And in her. Closing his lips around her, Edward swept his tongue against every inch of her and lifted his head to chase her down when she rose higher onto her knees.

She flexed her fingers and tightened her grip on the headboard. Emmett was lost in the shadows along the wall, but it wouldn't matter if he was standing under a spotlight. Bella couldn't see beyond her white knuckles. Bowing her head on a gasp, she rocked her hips against Edward's mouth, seeking a faster path to pleasure on his tongue.

He scolded her with a thrumming sound that vibrated against her very core, completely defeating the purpose as another wave of tingling electricity shot through her. Her legs shook despite Edward's firm grasp.

A filthy amalgamation of curse words tumbled from Bella's lips before she bit them off. Bella's teeth sank into her lip at the same time her eyes were forced shut. She should want to keep them wide open, searching for Emmett's intent gaze and yet all she could picture in her mind's eye was Edward. The hungry man whose mouth and hands were all over her.

 _So why did you tell Edward to call Emmett in?_

The thought pushed through the burning lust to the forefront of Bella's brain, effectively stalling the pleasure that had been building. It settled back into a low, deep simmer that Edward's tongue teased at. This time Bella's cursing was directed inward. Why on earth was she thinking about anything other than Edward and his magic appendages?

 _Especially if this is the last time…_

The errant thought escaped the flimsy mental prison Bella was trying to hastily construct. But the task was proving difficult with all the distractions at hand. Emmett against the wall, Edward between her legs and the wrong kind of inappropriate thoughts between her ears.

"Emmett," Edward growled the name, his breath warm on her thighs.

It sounded like she wasn't the only one distracted.

"I think you've got the wrong name," Bella teased.

She reached her hand down for his tousled hair only to be flipped to her back. Edward remained between her legs. Now her knees spread wide beside his hips as he stretched out over her. His eyes were dark with desire and captured hers for mere seconds before darting up to look past the headboard and into the shadows.

"I said, Ms. Swan's bags, Emmett. Now."

Mere seconds later, Bella heard the soft click of that secret door closing. Presumably, behind Emmett. His retreat was silent and swift and yet Bella's head swam with a rushing sound that couldn't possibly be the aftershocks of a slamming door but they sure as hell felt like it. Blood raced through her veins, a pounding pulse echoed in her ears and her whole body shook.

Only when Edward looked back down at her and placed a large hand gently to the side of her face did she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Why did you-" Bella began.

"Sorry-" Edward said at the same time. He waited a moment before continuing. "But I wanted you all to myself." His voice was soft and now so were his eyes. Bella's breath followed suit and nearly stopped altogether. "Needed," he began with a shake of his head. Bella placed her hand alongside the rough stubble of his jaw and cut him off with a kiss. She couldn't wait a second longer to seal her mouth over his. As his lips parted and tongue darted against hers, Bella knew it was best to not let him finish that thought.

When they parted, his eyes were dark once again, his desire for her clear in every inch of his body.

"Condom," Bella breathed, arching against his body.

"Drawer," Edward said with a sharp nod toward the table right beside the bed.

He arched above her as she reached for the table. The drawer slid easily open and Edward anxiously plucked a condom from within, tearing the corner of the package with his teeth and offering the open wrapper to Bella. She removed the condom and reached for his cock without once looking away from his hungry gaze.

Edward stretched out over her, the muscles in his torso and arms roped with tension as he held still, barely wincing as she touched him. Stroking him merely for the pleasure of watching his square jaw drop open on a moan, Bella finally rolled on the condom. Their shared gaze was broken only when Bella reached a hand down to stroke at her folds. Edward followed her movement and a deep rumble sounded in his throat.

"I don't need help getting you off." As if to prove a point, he guided his cock to her center and slipped in with a thrust of his hips.

Bella's hands shot to his shoulders, her mouth forming a perfect circle in a soundless cry of pleasure. His thumb pressed against her clit and stroked in a slow circle while he stay seated deep within.

"I bet I can make you come without moving one goddamn inch."

"Edward," Bella gasped. Her inner walls pulsed wildly against his deep-seated cock.

He brushed his thumb against her again. His touch was light but insistent and called at her rapidly reawakening orgasm. If only he would move.

"Edward, please."

He laughed. That boyish sound mixed with the sexy confidence of a man who knew just how to play her body. And play he did. Strumming the pad of his thumb against her in a teasing rhythm that had her toes curling, her body begging for release.

"Move, Edward, move."

"You want my cock, Bella?"

"Yes." She bit at her lip and tried to rock her hips. The weight and strength of his body was no match for hers. Any energy she could've used to try to get him to move was wasted on the efforts her body was expending in its pursuit of release. It searched frantically for the orgasm that was hovering just out of reach. Threatening to crash over her at any second, waiting to tear through her body like a tidal wave.

"You have it," Edward spoke in a low voice. Dipping his head to press kisses against her exposed neck, he growled. "Every last fucking inch is buried deep inside of you. I'm all yours."

His lips moved up to claim her mouth as his thumb swiped against her in sync with his tongue and just like that she was falling. The dam burst and the tension that had been coiled between her legs and throughout her core ceased to exist. A cresting wave of pleasure swept through her and she welcomed Edward's deepening kiss. Threading her hands through his hair, she held him to her. Sometime between mad and frantic kisses, Edward started moving and Bella lifted hers hips to his, the slow drag of his thick cock setting her on fire again. A tremor shot up from her toes and rolled through her core again.

Their mouths parted on a gasp and as Bella struggled to catch her breath, Edward's lips moved to lavish her breasts with kisses and teasing bites. She moaned with each sting of his teeth and latched her hands to his backside. His slow thrusts grew deeper and deeper and whereas she'd begged him moments before to move, she didn't want to let him go now. She wanted to hold onto him, keep him deep within. And he finally stopped with a low grunt of release, setting another spark of pleasure off within her.

Her fingers tangled in his hair, hands holding fast. Bella braced herself for the inevitable loss that arrived in the wake of orgasm. The moment he would pull out of her and reality would come rushing back in. A reality she had no intention of just sitting around and waiting for. If it was going to come, she was going to be the one to summon it.

She cleared her throat and spoke louder than she intended. "I imagine my bags are in the car by now."

Edward's low chuckle became a groan and a huff of warm breath fell against her skin. He lifted his head but didn't move away from her.

"I won't deny Emmett's efficiency. But I'm not sure if it speaks to my sexual prowess that I could make you come in the time it takes him to pack a car or a lack of stamina that I could come in the time it takes him to pack a car?"

Bella couldn't help but plant a kiss on his playfully pouting mouth. "My multiple orgasms won't deny your sexual prowess…" Bella said with a laugh. "And we'll see just how potent your stamina is when I try to walk out of this room without limping."

"Good answer," Edward replied.

The sting of sudden abandonment still took Bella by surprise when Edward pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. She bit back the moan that threatened to derail her resolve and would only serve to fuel Edward's mission to keep her in bed. If that was his mission at all. As he placed his hands beneath his head and gave her a grim nod, she wondered if he wasn't better at this whole willpower thing than she was.

It took her a good minute or two to get her bearings as she scanned the room for her clothes. And concentrating on the scattered locations of her dress, shoes and assorted undergarments was just the task she needed to stay on track. Rather than focus on Edward's burning gaze against her bare skin, Bella slipped her clothes back on like a suit of armor. Impenetrable to his gaze and impervious to his charm, this flimsy excuse of a dress would act as her shield.

 _A shield that Edward tore threw twice already, Bella._ She reminded herself.

"Damn it," she cursed under her breath.

She was pretty sure Edward could read her mind, if the grin on his face was any indication. Giving in to her own smile, Bella sighed as she slipped on her shoes. If there was ever a time to be wearing running shoes, it was now. In lieu of getaway shoes, she'd have to go on the offense.

"Make sure your father keeps up with his exercises. I gave him plenty of handouts and I can email them to you as well."

"Now that you're going back to the land of endless Wi-Fi?" Edward rolled to prop his head on his hand but didn't bother to hide his own nakedness.

Bella grinned. She was going to miss the easy charm he seemed to hide from everyone else. "I don't know that I'd called it 'endless.' My data plan isn't the best. But then, I'm sure you already knew that."

When he winked and smirked and said, "Touché," Bella wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Whether it would be a good-bye kiss or a maybe-I'll-see-you-again-sometime kiss or a tear-off-my-clothes-again-and-make-me-stay kiss she didn't know. But the very fact that those were the options and she was conflicted as to the best choice was reason enough to keep her distance.

"If I text you-" Edward started, the look in his eyes betraying his casual pose.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Bella interrupted. Her heart was pounding, pulling blood from her head and sending it rushing to her fingers and toes. She felt lightheaded and anxious to run. Fight or flight at its finest.

Edward's smug grin didn't crumble into sadness but something closer to steel.

"I'm just going to be honest with you, Edward. I don't know if that'd be a good idea or a bad idea. Hell, I don't know if any of this is a good or bad idea. There are parts of me that want to stay and parts that want to leave and I can't seem to think straight when you're around."

Edward sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Mercifully, he pulled the sheet across his lap and directed his full attention at Bella. What started as an honest and simple explanation was starting to tumble quickly downhill and Bella knew it was a matter of seconds before she was babbling nonsensically. And there would be no shutting her up at that point.

 _Well, not_ _no_ _way_ , her subconscious mused as Bella's gaze focused on Edward's lips.

"No," Bella said, closing her eyes with a shake of her head. "I need to leave. You need me to leave. Your father, your sister… none of that matters." She opened her eyes. "We're not a thing. This wasn't a thing. It was just… just…"

There was no good word to choose. She refused to say mistake. After all, she'd promised honesty and that was anything but. And of course, she'd already used the most innocuous term to describe what it wasn't. Why couldn't she have said something more specific? Like romance or relationship or falling in love?

"Fun," Edward said.

"What?"

"This was fun," he repeated. "And hot and sexy and…" He stood, still clutching the sheet at his waist as he took a step forward. "…and a lot of other things I could say that would only get me in trouble."

"Us in trouble," Bella said, holding her hand out to stop Edward in his tracks. "Proximal stupidity, remember?"

Edward let out a brief chuckle before clamping his lip between his teeth. He nodded and extended his hand before deciding against the gesture. "And I seem to have sensory stupidity so it's probably best if we don't touch."

"Probably," Bella agreed. Taking one last look at Edward's perfectly tousled hair, the angle of his jaw and the deep green of his eyes, Bella finally started for the door. "Bye, Edward."

It was only after she crossed the threshold and was closing the door behind her that she heard his own good-bye.

EPOV

Edward didn't really want to say good-bye but thought it rude to not say anything. And obviously saying how he felt was out of the question. How he felt would land them tangled in the sheets again. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, yet. Eventually he'd have to deal with his father or sister or even just the bullshit of running the Cullen empire and that's when it would all fall apart. The fun they were having would come to a crashing – possibly fatal – halt. And while Edward didn't dare utter the word "love," it was clear he was in like with Bella. And for a man who didn't like very many people, that was reason enough to get her out of harm's way.

His gaze darted to the large curtained windows across the room and he considered watching Bella leave.

"Don't be stupid," he scolded himself. Dragging a hand down his unshaven face, Edward hoped that as Bella left the Cullen Estate property and began the journey home, the miles between them would not only put her physically out of reach but mentally as well.

 _If she proves to be as much of a distraction by not being here, what's the point?_ Edward's painfully honest, and apparently somewhat traitorous, subconscious offered.

He needed to work. It was early, but sleep was out of the question. Being in that bed would only remind him of Bella. Even if he did manage to get some shut-eye, he didn't envision it happening without jerking off first. Work, on the other hand, would drive Bella from his mind. Or at least remind him of the necessary safety and security he was banishing her to.

Dropping the sheet on the bed, Edward made a mental note to ask Emmett to have housekeeping change the sheets. Maybe if he couldn't smell her, she'd be easier to forget.

With astonishing rapidity, images of Jasper's beaten body flooded Edward's mind as he headed to the shower. The intricacies of the plot he set in motion to infiltrate the Volturis were still in their beginning stages. He and Emmett had quite a bit of planning to do if they were to discover whether or not they had a rat in their employ. And of course, there was the plan to take it even further than that. Why stop at justice for Jasper when they could attempt to trigger a collapse of their most powerful enemy at the same time?

The tiled floor of the bathroom was cool, and Edward decided to carry the theme through to his shower. A quick, cold shower should successfully tuck Bella into some distant corner of his mind and allow him to get on with his life.

 _For that to happen, you have to stop thinking about her,_ he chided himself. A task that didn't come easily as he turned the shower on and immediately imagined the water streaming down Bella's perfectly creamy skin.

With an audible groan, Edward let the shower door slam shut as he grabbed a towel from the closet across the room. The same muffled bang sounded again, and Edward glanced back at the shower before a cold dread began to creep up his legs with surprisingly speed. The sound hadn't come from the bathroom.

Not bothering to take the time that it required to throw on any clothes, Edward tore through his bedroom and out into the hallway just as Bella's voice called out, echoing through the front hall.

"Edward!"

An icy stream of panic punctuated her cry and Edward ran down the stairs to see his worst fears come true. Bella. Her hands stained red, the same blood blooming rapidly across the front of her dress. She stood for a moment before collapsing to the floor.

 **A/N: So not only do I write "disgusting" stories but apparently I also include cliffhangers. I had every intention of adding more to this chapter before posting but then this thing would likely never go up. So enjoy the cliffie, speculate away and feel free to bombard me with your list of grievances... I got nothing but time. ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: New Year's Resolutions... 1. Don't write so slowly. 2. Don't use so many adverbs. 3. Don't lie about updating quickly.**

 **My many apologies (once again) for the damned cliffhanger. So not my style and it was a cruel, cruel thing to do to you all. I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it. If nothing else, you'll get your daily dose of Vitamin C... that's important this time of year. ;)**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

BPOV

It was impossible not to collapse beneath the weight of Emmett. The man was huge and Bella hoped and prayed his impressive size extended to his blood supply because from the looks of it, a good amount of it was now staining her dress and pooling on the expensive tile of the Cullen Estate's front hall. She couldn't tell where the blood was coming from, only that it covered her hands, dress and ran down her legs that were pinned beneath Emmett's Herculean frame.

"Emmett…" Bella fought the urge to shake him but eventually resorted to doing just that. It was impossible to locate the source of his bleeding unless he moved. She couldn't see much from where he had her pinned to the floor. And his not moving wasn't very encouraging. "Edward!"

An icy thread of panic was clear in her voice and before she could attempt to reign it in, Edward appeared at the top of the stairs, his face drawn and white.

"Bella." She didn't so much hear his voice as she felt it. It reverberated through her, much like the blood rushing in her ears.

Blood, she thought, her gaze darting back to Emmett's limp form.

She stretched her hands out over him, willing herself to be calm. And just like that the panic left her body and seemed to spill out into the entryway. There were suddenly many voices and footsteps and Bella only took vague notice of Edward's own presence, closer now.

Emmett's head lolled away from her, his upper torso and broad shoulders pinning her legs to the floor. His right arm lay outstretched across her hips.

He was protecting me. The obvious thought simmered in Bella's subconscious.

It had all happened so fast. The last thing she remembered was Emmett's affable smile and shy charm as he insisted on carrying her bags to the car. The cutest little blush colored his cheeks as she thanked him for the lovely tray of strawberries. And then she was being thrown backwards, momentarily deaf from the loud cracking blast echoing across the grounds. Everything went dark from behind the shield of Emmett's body. Pain radiated up from her elbow as she struck the ground. A pain that was quickly overshadowed by the breathtaking force of two-hundred-fifty pounds slamming into her, pinning her to the floor.

"Are you hurt?" The question came from over her shoulder, where Edward knelt, his face just inches from her own. He must've asked more than once if the look on his face was any indication.

"I'm fine. It's Emmett," she breathed.

Edward slipped his hands beneath Emmett and heaved his body just a few inches away from Bella's and her lungs took full advantage of the welcome space. Her head spun for just a second with the sudden rush of oxygen and then she saw it. The bullet wound. The fabric of Emmett's shirt was shredded at the shoulder and colored a darker red than anywhere else. Acting fast, she clamped her hands down against his shoulder and let go of the breath she was holding when Emmett gave a slight moan. Moaning was good.

"He's breathing," Bella called out to no one in particular. How she even heard him was a mystery. The hall was filled with bustling commotion and then suddenly, Emmett was lifted out from under her hands. There was a stretcher and uniformed men and Edward murmuring something about a helicopter in her ear.

She stood, not so much under her own control, but the strength and pull of Edward's arms. He kept talking and Bella heard nothing but the sound of his voice. That cool and steady timbre that echoed through her bones and reassured her subconscious as the conscious part of her mind continued to reel.

The entryway was strangely still now that Emmett had been moved, save for the scant staff bustling about with mops and other cleaning supplies. And yet Bella couldn't stop hearing the sharp blast of the gun or feeling the weight of Emmett's body covering hers. She shivered into Edward's arms and finally turned to burrow her face against his chest. Tears spilled down her cheeks and her breath caught. He held her close, his grip tight enough to allow him to sweep her into his arms as he strode from the crime scene and up the stairs.

Edward moved with almost inhuman speed. His steps were swift and silent. Bella could feel the steady thump of his heart beneath her hand, the vague realization that he wasn't wearing a shirt crossed her mind. The suddenly nostalgic scent of sex and sweat twisted Bella's sense of time. How could what happened to Emmett exist in the same realm of existence as she and Edward's bittersweet goodbye? Just fifteen minutes ago, the worst part of the day had been walking away from Edward. And now Emmett was being wheeled away on a stretcher, covered in blood.

The vague realization that Edward was talking again vaguely registered in the back of Bella's mind and yet all she could think about was the blood staining her dress. It was warm and wet against her skin, trapped between her torso and Edward's. She plucked at the fabric as Edward lowered her to her feet. They were in his room.

His bathroom, Bella thought absently as she heard the sudden rush of water from the shower.

And yet she didn't remember Edward leaving her side, his touch never faded from her skin. And suddenly that's all he was touching. Stripping the dress from her, kneeling to remove her shoes and standing again to take her face between his hands.

"Bella. Bella, sweetheart. Can you hear me?"

He was pleading with her. His voice was hard and low but his eyes brimmed with worry. And she wanted to answer him but her voice was lost somewhere in the infinite loop of time her mind relentlessly circled. Walking away from Edward, teasing Emmett as he loaded her bags into the car, smiling over his shoulder at her and then a sound that slammed into her with the same impact as Emmett and then nothing but red.

"Are you hurt, Bella? Bella?"

She reached for Edward, her palm pressing into the back of his hands, holding him to her. If she could just focus on him everything would be okay. His gaze bore into hers, leaving her eyes in lightning-fast flickers to look her over. She wanted to tell him that she was all right.

Am I all right?

Before Bella could give the question any thought, her worry shifted from Emmett to Edward. Surely Emmett wasn't the target of the attack. But the man in front of her, holding her so tight, probably was. He rivaled Emmett's height and from a distance their general build and hair color could look similar enough. Her hands traveled to Edward's face and shoulders and chest. She had to make sure he was okay. It was an easy enough assessment to make. Edward wasn't just shirtless, he wasn't wearing anything.

"Your clothes…" she murmured.

"Bella." Edward gripped her harder, forcing her gaze to return to his face. "Are you okay?"

"Emmett…" The present jolted out from beneath her again, resetting her to the space just beside the car trunk, Emmett's shy grin just turning up one corner of his lips.

"Bella," Edward said forcefully.

And just like that Bella was back in the bathroom with Edward, naked and shivering and desperately needing something to anchor her to this point in time.

"Edward-"

He didn't let her finish. His hands slipped to wrap around her back seconds before his mouth crashed down on hers. Bella gave into him, opening her mouth and accepting his frantic kiss. His tongue ravaged her mouth, stealing her breath and obliterating every thought. Edward's hands worked lower until he was hoisting her up. Wrapping her legs around him, she clung to his shoulders and pressed her heels into his back. His lips left hers long enough to sweep her hair away from her neck so he could suck and bite at the erratic pulse there. Bella's breath was coming hard and fast as if it was making up for having been stolen away just moments earlier. It was back with a vengeance and moving almost as quickly as Edward. One of his hands left her ass and Bella lifted away from him in anticipation of the only thing that would erase the last remaining distance between them. With a tandem moan, Edward drove his cock deep, pulling Bella's hips firmly against his. A desperate fever exploded beneath Bella's skin and she clung to Edward's towering frame. Each move she made was met with Edward's own frantic thrust until he moved backwards toward the shower.

The falling water scattered Bella's already disjointed thoughts as they entered the confines of the shower. Edward's mumbled growls and the sound of the water echoed against the slick tile and Bella became suddenly aware of her own moans that were rapidly rising in pitch. She was wrapped firmly in Edward's arms and yet couldn't seem to get close enough to him. His lips never left hers for long, always returning to kiss the water away. Her hands slipped through his hair as she continued to ride him, his sturdy legs bracing her against the shower wall. She was chasing down her release and the inevitable dam that would burst. It wasn't just the physical release she was after. Anything to clear her mind, empty her thoughts and erase the past.

Edward's hands bore bruises into her hips. Bella's flesh stung as he pulled at her hair again, gathered into his fist and pulling her head back, exposing her neck to him. He attacked her there, biting and branding his way down to her chest. When he got as far as he could reach, he leaned back and trapped her gaze in his. She followed the track of his eyes down to where they were connected, slick and frantic. She bit back a moan that persisted until she couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Edward," she breathed.

"Bella." He pressed his body once more to hers and loosened his grip on her hair. His hands framed her face and angled her just so to receive his kiss. This time it was gentle and slow and just what she needed to fall over the edge.

Gasping into his mouth and swallowing his own moans in return, Bella's legs clamped to Edward's hips at the moment of her climax. The thrilling explosion receded into a deliciously slow burn that sizzled in her veins. Edward dropped his head with a sharp breath and pulled Bella off him before setting her down on her feet. The swollen head of his cock brushed her belly as he came. The water streamed down over them, washing her clean as Edward leaned down to place a firm kiss on her forehead.

"Sorry, Bella," he mumbled. "I didn't-"

He said something about a condom and apologized again, perhaps two or three more times, but Bella heard none of it. She stepped back into his arms and pressed her forehead against his chest. He was solid. As he lifted her again, she could feel the power of his legs and the safety of his arms. Threading her fingers together behind his neck, she nuzzled into him and closed her eyes. Her banished thoughts simmered somewhere in the back of her mind. Nothing made sense. She shouldn't be back in Edward's arms. Not this way, under these circumstances. And yet, there was no place she'd rather be.

EPOV

Holy shit.

The phrase was running on a loop through Edward's addled mind and it covered all the bases really. Angry disbelief at the attack on Emmett. The urgent need to gather information and act fast, not necessarily in that order. And a mixture or guilt and awe every time he looked at Bella, now asleep in his bed. Which, considering how little he was looking away from her, he was vacillating pretty rapidly between guilt and awe.

To have his unexpected happiness tied into a threat against Emmett's life was unacceptable. And yet it had happened.

Only because you took advantage of it, he chided himself.

Which was all the more reason why he couldn't be happy about it. Bella hadn't returned to his bed by choice. Hell, she hadn't returned to him at all. She'd been trapped by a wounded bodyguard.

Hell if I'm letting her leave now, Edward thought in spite of himself. She could hate him for taking advantage of the situation but he wasn't about to let her walk out that door now. Not until he knew what was going on and why Emmett had been attacked. He just had to remind himself that keeping her safe wasn't a free pass to sleep with her.

The sheets rustled and Edward blinked, resetting his gaze on Bella's sleeping form. She was restless. Edward imagined the nightmare that must be responsible for her furrowed brow and sudden whimper. Was she hearing the gunshot? Or feeling Emmett's blood seep into her clothes? Or perhaps seeing something more… the shooter?

A huff of breath escaped Edward's tightly drawn lips as he shoved his hands deep into the pockets of the pants he finally managed to put on. The pants weren't just a necessary protective barrier when he was this close to Bella but apparently also necessary if he wanted to meet with the rest of his security team and review the details of the attack. Which he'd just spent the last twenty minutes doing. And it was twenty minutes too long as far as he was concerned. No one saw anything. Or knew anything. And until Emmett was out of surgery, there was no one else who might have witnessed something. No one except for Bella.

Edward made a silent promise not to pounce on Bella, physically or otherwise. He was willing to wait for her to want to talk about it. For a little while at least. Patience wasn't his most abundant virtue.

"An hour. Maybe two," Edward mumbled to himself. That seemed like a reasonable amount of time before questioning her.

Bella's lips parted on a sigh and a brief look of peace fluttered across her face. Edward's own sigh escaped, one fraught with barely contained frustration. Okay, maybe he'd wait to start the clock until she woke up first.

"I thought I'd find you in here."

It might have been that Edward was so lost in thought that he hadn't heard Carlisle knock. It might have been that Carlisle was a dick.

Crossing the room in four large steps, Edward grasped the edge of the door, limiting Carlisle's access to mere inches.

"Why's that, Dad?" Edward said, wearily. "Because it's my room?"

Carlisle's greedy gaze nodding past Edward. "Assumed you'd need to lie down after all the excitement."

Edward snorted humorlessly. The sound was louder than he'd intended and he turned to check that Bella was still asleep.

"Or perhaps you're more interested in blowing off some steam."

Edward turned back to the door to see that Carlisle used the moment to steal a few more inches, now able to direct his gaze intently upon Bella.

"When did it become okay for you to enter my room without permission?" Edward hissed under his breath, taking a step toward his father.

"When our family came under siege." Carlisle didn't move.

Edward dragged a rough hand against his jaw. "We're not under siege, Dad. If anything, our bodyguards are being targeted." He had to work to keep his voice low.

Carlisle didn't bother to do the same. "And why the hell do you think that is? Because they're such big players? Think, Edward. With our security in shambles, who's really at risk?"

Edward's thoughts and gaze shot to Bella.

"Not her, Edward." Carlisle scoffed. "You. Or worse, me."

"Oh so it's okay if I'm the target?" Edward seethed as he turned back to Carlisle.

"Your legs are thirty years younger than mine. You can run."

Edward didn't even realize he'd turned to look at Bella again until Carlisle jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

"But you can't run if you're dragging dead weight on your back," Carlisle continued.

Bella was hardly dead weight. She could outrun all of them without even trying.

"In this case she'd be better off trying. The sooner the better."

Edward narrowed his eyes and closed what little distance remained between him and his father. He was just as mad at himself for saying that out loud as he was at his father's impossible suggestion. There's no way Bella would be safer away from him.

"I can't protect her if she's running."

"It's not your job to protect her."

"Or sleep with her or send our supply to the Volturis or try to avenge Jasper. I get it, Dad. The list of what isn't my job is long."

The edge of the door dug into the side of Edward's hand. He was going to have a broken door on his hands if Carlisle hung around much longer. And with Emmett out of commission, it would be awhile before the door got fixed. Remembering Bella and his recent vow to keep his hands off her, maybe lack of a bedroom door wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

"That's only because you can't seem to remember what you're supposed to be doing." Any air of pretense Carlisle had been fostered was gone. His voice was sharp, impatience clear in his tone.

Not spilling family secrets in earshot of outsiders was number one on the list of what not to do. Even if said outsiders were currently unconscious.

"Fix this, Edward. Emmett deserves your loyalty. Your every thought should be focused on this situation right now and not how quickly you can bury your dick between Bella's legs."

"Get out." Edward could've shouted the words for all he knew. The blood rushing to his head was deafening.

Carlisle met Edward's grim expression with one just as cold. The unspoken words crackled between them, lightning fast and vicious. Carlisle finally took one measured step back before turning on his heel and leaving Edward to slam the door behind him. It was as close to a final word as Edward would get. Edward knew his father well enough to know that much of what he saw in his eyes were threats. Acts of violence he promised to inflict upon anything or anyone that dared to cross from one list to another. The job was all that mattered. And the job was family. Emmett was family.

Edward's head throbbed as he lay it against the closed door, squeezing his eyes shut and forcing his brain to focus, not because of Carlisle's insistence but because it was the only way to keep him from punching a hole in the wall.

Emmett must be out of surgery by now, Edward thought. He felt for his phone, firmly ensconced in his back pocket but still and silent. He'd feel a lot better as soon as Emmett was back under the roof of Cullen Estate.

"Edward?" Bella's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Turning to take her in, Edward couldn't look past the worry in her eyes. Even with the sheet loosely draped across Bella's chest. Her hand reached up and grabbed ahold of the fabric and Edward felt compelled to lower his gaze.

Watching his feet as he crossed the room, Edward finally looked up when he'd reached the edge of the bed. His legs stopped just an inch or two away. "Bella."

He wanted to ask how she was and if she'd seen anything in equal measure but she cut him off.

"How's Emmett?"

Edward dropped his head with a sigh, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. So far he'd managed to stave off the inevitable headache today's events were bound to bring, but with his cock and fists officially on the bench, he was running out of coping mechanisms.

"Oh my god," Bella gasped.

With a start, Edward looked up to see tears brimming in Bella's eyes and he realized he never answered her. "No, no, Bella. He's fine. I mean, he's alive. Emmett's still in surgery."

The last thing he wanted to do was worry her more. Without thinking, Edward reached for Bella, kneeling on the bed and folding her into his arms. She'd dropped the sheet and curled her fists into his shirt instead. She seemed to relax in his arms and Edward cursed his inability to sooth her without touching her. Why couldn't he have just said Emmett was okay as soon as she asked? Now his body was all too aware of the warmth of her own body, the scent of her bare skin. He breathed her in, his nose pressed against her neck as she clung to him.

"What happened?" she mumbled into his chest. "What the hell happened, Edward?"

She suddenly pulled back, her hands still clutching his shirt but eyes wildly searching his. "Was it supposed to be you? Were they aiming for you?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Once again, Edward couldn't think of anything to say that would erase the panic in her eyes and so settled for brushing his thumb against the side of her face. "I don't know, Bella." She leaned into his touch and Edward's breath caught in his chest.

"Bella," he forced the word out on what little air he seemed able to capture. "Did you see anything?"

She shook her head, the move sending a tear streaking down her cheek. He caught it on his thumb and fought the sudden urge to kiss her.

"Nothing at all?"

"No," she said. "Have you ever been shot at, Edward? It doesn't exactly happen in slow motion."

Her tone was far from accusing. She sounded distant and thoughtful and just before her gaze dropped away, Edward could've sworn he could see the wheels turning in her head. Bella was coming out of a fog. The sort of cloud that descends upon someone who's been through a traumatic event. The question was, what would she see when it lifted?

"Except that it kind of does," Bella mumbled, her brow furrowing as she pulled the sheet up to her chest again.

Edward took the opportunity to stand up. He hoped it looked like he was being gentlemanly and giving her some space when truly it was because he was at a loss as to how to truly comfort her. All of his ideas involved a lot less clothing, or at the very least for Bella to drop the sheet.

"It looked like Emmett got hit in the shoulder," Edward said. "He was conscious on the ride to the hospital and was in surgery in less than thirty minutes."

Bella sat back against the headboard. "There was so much blood."

"Yeah," Edward replied lamely. It didn't seem as though Bella was actually taking in anything he was saying. And until the surgeon called, Edward didn't have any more information than he'd already shared. And so far Bella wasn't providing any additional pieces to the puzzle. "Can you tell me what happened before the gunshot?"

"Umm…" Bella nibbled on her lip. "Emmett was just putting my bags into the car."

"And you were with him? By the car?"

Her nose wrinkled, her eyes focused on the sheet. "No, well yes. But we went back inside for the last bag…"

She trailed off and Edward fought the urge to unleash the barrage of questions he'd been holding at bay for too long already. He wanted – needed – details. Information. Something that could give him a clue about what to do next. Who to blame.

"And then there was a bang and we were on the floor and there was blood… so much blood."

"Bella," Edward said. "Were you inside or outside when you heard the gunshot? Where was Emmett? Was he inside? What direction was he facing?"

So much for keeping the barrage under control.

Bella rose to her knees, a single emotion now burning through that haze of confusion. She was angry. The sheet dropped as she swung her feet to the floor and stalked toward Edward.

"You don't think I'd tell you if I saw who shot Emmett? Or could give you – or the police – any information if I had it? Speaking of the police, where the hell are they? Shouldn't this place be swarming with cops? This is a crime scene. You want answers, get the K-9 unit out here to search the grounds. Have someone dust for fingerprints or collect evidence or something!"

Edward backed up, his hands in the air. Bella had no idea what she was talking about. The police had never set foot on the grounds of the Cullen Estate and never would. He didn't need someone to get arrested. He needed an eye for an eye. Or a head for a shoulder, as the case may be.

As careful as Edward was to not touch Bella, she didn't hold the same caution. Her hands splayed on his shirt, pushing at his chest. But he had little space left to move. She'd backed him against the wall.

"Huh, Mr. Cullen," she spat. "Why don't you call the cops?"

"I don't need the cops," he said.

"Why the hell not, Edward? Any sane person would call the police when someone gets shot. And this isn't just anyone. This is Emmett. Emmett!"

Bella was on her toes. Her breath was hot and fast on his face and a not insignificant burn was settling into his chest where her fingernails were rapidly becoming embedded. A small voice in the back of his head suggested empathy and compassion. It was a voice Edward routinely ignored.

"Goddamn it, Bella! Don't you think I know that!"

Her splayed hands turned to fists. Hard fists that pounded at his chest. "Then do something about it!"

Edward caught her wrists and clamped his teeth together against the string of curses he'd been wanting to bellow since Emmett was wheeled into the helicopter. "I am," he muttered.

"The hell you are! What are you doing Edward?!" She pulled against his grip.

His gaze slipped from the fury in her eyes to the room behind her. The rumbled bedsheets looked as angry as Bella. He spotted the puddle of discarded clothing just inside his bathroom door and Bella snapped her head around to see what he was looking at.

"Me." If her whisper was a loaded gun, Edward was staring down the barrel of said gun as Bella turned her deadly glare on him. "That's what you were doing? Me?"

"Bella-"

She pulled her fists from Edward's slackened grip and took a step back. She shook her head and mouthed what looked like 'no.'

"Bella…" Edward repeated, unsure of what to say. His pleading tone said more than any words he could hope to say.

He was damn lucky she wasn't taking her fists to him now because he was pretty sure he'd be joining Emmett in the hospital if that were the case. He took a step forward until his feet froze to the ground under her icy gaze.

She may have said 'no' again or cursed or spat his name but Edward was having trouble hearing anything, except for the chiding voice that spoke all the words Bella didn't. All the disgusted accusations she could hurl at him as she ripped the sheet from the bed and stormed out of the room. His stomach lurched as the heavy door to his bedroom slammed against the wall. She was right to hate him and he would expect nothing less than for her to leave his presence. And, controlling bastard that he was, he'd allow it. But that's as far as she would get. Bella Swan couldn't leave the estate.

BPOV

She was a prisoner. Living on three square gourmet meals a day with access to a fully stocked home gym and free to roam almost any of the ten thousand square feet of the Cullen Estate. Other than Carlisle's office and he and his wife's private quarters, Bella could wander without question. It was only as she dared to get within shouting distance of any of the estates many doors that a nameless slab of bodyguard – prison guard? - blocked her path. Of course, she had no interest in setting foot anywhere near Edward's office or bedroom. But unfortunately, Edward wasn't under any constraints either.

For the second day in a row, Edward was already in the gym when she got down there. It seemed ridiculous that there were no windows looking into the space but there weren't and so Bella approached the room on a wish and a prayer. The stress and frustration that sent her to the gym in the first place only multiplied as soon as she spotted him over near the punching bag.

He must've just finished pummeling the damn thing because it was still swaying and sweat bloomed across Edward's shirt. Maybe if she'd heard him hitting the bag, it would've given her time to change course and avoid him but she was already in the room and determined to carry on as if he weren't there. She could feel his gaze on her as she stalked over to the treadmill. The wide stretch of green lawn spread out in the windows before her was like a punch in the face. If she could just go outside she could see if Asshole Cullen was in the gym. Of course, if she could go outside, she could just run outside.

Better yet, you could leave.

The start button on the treadmill took the brunt of her frustration and the belt started rolling before she could think of something concisely cruel and venomous to say to the man still watching her from across the room. That was the thing about windows, they acted like mirrors when the sun was right. The treadmill beeped loudly as Bella held her finger down on the pace button, determined to keep going until she found one that put some distance between her and Edward. While the physical space between them didn't change, his voice called across the chasm, effectively pulling her to him.

"Emmett's home. Back. Emmett's back… thought you'd want to know."

She did want to know. Other than the brief handwritten update she'd received scrawled on a sheet of Cullen Corp letterhead hours after she stormed from Edward's room in his stolen bedsheet, Bella was anxious to know more than just that Emmett was okay. Like where exactly had he been shot, how bad was the wound, would he suffer any permanent disabilities from the injury? All questions she could pose to Emmett. After all, she was pulling from a pretty strict list of self-curated questions when it came to Edward. She knew it was unrealistic to think she possessed enough self-control to give him the silent treatment, so she went with Plan B instead: piss him off until he allowed her release.

"Unwilling physical therapists and gun shot victims. Anyone else make your list of ideal prisoners?"

"You're not my-" Edward growled as he clamped his lips together. She could just make him out in the window before he dropped his head, focusing his attention on removing the tape from his hands. "Emmett wanted to be here. He's safer here."

"Sure, what with all your medical expertise and fully stocked trauma unit," Bella snorted in reply before she could stop herself.

Edward turned and Bella was quick to notice the sharp lines of his jaw, teeth still firmly clenched together. Her self-control may be shit but at least he couldn't make out the blush that colored her cheeks. She punched at the pace button a couple of times for good measure. Running could flush your face too.

Glancing back to the window, Bella saw what her body could sense before looking. Edward was walking toward her. Whether it was his masculine scent of earth and soap – how he even smelled remotely appealing while working out was patently unfair – or some inexplicable vibe that coursed between them, Bella had no trouble locating him now.

Why doesn't that work through walls? she wondered vaguely.

"Don't you want to know how he is?"

He was standing just beside her now. If she turned and looked at him there was a good chance she'd take a header right off the treadmill. Which was a good thing because she had no interest in looking at his stupid, handsome face. The downside to his proximity? Not only could he see her quite clearly now in the glass if he chose to redirect his intense gaze away from her face at any point but her highly ordered list of insults was rapidly turning into a useless pile of scrambled letters.

"Well? Do you?" Edward repeated himself.

Bella took a second to check her stats on the treadmill.

Speed, 8.5mph. Incline, 0%. Time elapsed, 4:34.

It was too bad the neon green display didn't have Edward's question printed on it because she was pretty sure he'd asked her something and was having a hard time remembering what the hell it was. Soon she'd be adding "amnesiacs" to her list of Edward's acceptable prisoners.

"Ha!" She exclaimed as she jogged her own memory before quickly trying to now jog past that embarrassing moment of triumph. "I suppose that sort of information comes with a price."

"A price?"

"Yes. Like a payment." Bella chanced a glance at Edward before redirecting her gaze toward the windows. "For example, I strip down to my sports bra and you tell me more about Emmett's injury."

"I actually figured you'd want to see Emmett for yourself… but I won't stop you if you want to take your clothes off."

He threw a lazy smirk at her reflection and she bit back the urge to take the bait. The last thing she needed was to be wriggling on his hook.

Your metaphors need some serious work, Bella. She chided herself.

"How generous of you," Bella finally said.

Edward lifted a shoulder and looked away from the window to gaze directly at her again. "I know how concerned you were about him. And I think he'd like to see you too."

Bella concentrated on the sound of her feet slapping against the treadmill. She counted her steps and tried to ignore the thinly veiled hurt in Edward's voice. He didn't have a right to be hurt. He hadn't been the one who'd been taken advantage of.

Neither were you, a persistent voice echoed. You needed him in that moment just as much as he needed you.

It was true. A bitter truth Bella eventually admitted to herself in the last twenty-four hours but one Edward didn't need to know. She was ashamed of her apparent priorities after Emmett had been shot but they were nowhere near as bad as Edward's. He cared more about his precious family estate and its privacy than calling the cops when his friend and employee had been shot.

"Fine," Bella said. "Thank you."

She waited for him to turn and go, glad their gym time wasn't going to overlap by more than a few minutes. Being around him wasn't easy, especially not when she was surrounded by massive photos reminding her of his amazing physique.

"Do you need a towel?" he asked, gesturing to the treadmill console.

A few drops of sweat had landed there and Bella decided she could feign politeness a little while longer. "Sure. Thanks."

Edward turned and seemed to survey the room before turning back to Bella with a shrug.

"Looks like we're all out. Here, you can have this."

She glanced just in time to see him pull his shirt over his head and toss it over the console. It was impossible to not look at the sweaty and sculpted lines of his chest and briefly mourn her sad choice of cardio. Tearing her gaze from his torso – but not before catching the knowing grin on his too fine face – Bella clenched her teeth together and stared ahead, unblinking.

Emmett's room was significantly smaller than Edward's, making it merely the size of your average two-bedroom apartment. He was propped up in bed with a small smile on his face that did little to distract from the bandages covering most of his right arm and chest.

"Busy?" Bella asked as she entered the room.

His smile bloomed into a grin. "I've got some paperwork to get through but it can wait."

Bella frowned as she crossed the room. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Nah," Emmett said with a laugh as he patted the edge of the bed.

Sitting down with more caution than was probably necessary, if she was judging by Emmett's epic eye roll, Bella cast a wary gaze over Emmett's injury.

"Are you sure you shouldn't still be at the hospital?" Bella asked. "I mean, you look well but didn't the doctors want to keep an eye on you? You're barely out of surgery forty-eight hours."

"I'm a fast healer," he said with a wink. "You know if you came in here out of worry, you can go."

Bella nibbled at her lip. If her time spent with Emmett could be considered a relationship it was an odd one, hinging mostly on silent, illicit encounters and some friendly small talk the day he was shot. None of that made her worry about him any less. In fact, she was pretty sure she'd worry about anyone who got shot in front of her. As in, literally in front of her.

"How are you?" Emmett interrupted her musings. "Are you okay?"

She blinked and tilted her head as if unsure she'd heard him correctly. Was this very recent gunshot victim asking if she was okay? Bella had been around the Cullen Estate long enough to know just how loyal Emmett was to the family. But Bella wasn't family. Not that the concerned look on Emmett's face seemed to acknowledge this.

"I mean, I'm pretty damn heavy," Emmett said. "Or so I've been told." There was that shy grin again.

Bella laughed softly. "I'll second that." It wasn't difficult to recall his crushing weight pressing her to the ground. A sobering thought that was interrupted only by a sudden groan as Emmett adjusted his position on the bed.

Bella assessed the situation from a physical therapist's point of view, the placement of his support pillows, the angle of his arm, until finally she came to rest on his face and that exasperated smile appeared again.

"There was so much blood…" she murmured as she slipped back into bystander mode. Clearing her throat, she tried her best to sound reasonable and stern. "You really should still be at the hospital."

"Thank god I'm not. Can't stand those places. I'm surprised Edward sent me at all."

The implications of Emmett's words didn't sit well with Bella. Just how many times had Emmett been shot on the job and how many times did Edward refuse to have him treated?

"You were shot, Emmett. You couldn't very well stay here," Bella argued.

"Why not? Are you a doctor or something?"

She knew he was teasing but between Edward's careless treatment of his employees and his general asshat behavior, she wasn't in the mood to joke around.

"No, I'm not a doctor. But I am a physical therapist and I'll be happy to help you in your recovery. I mean, I'd prefer you to be under the care of a doctor for the next few weeks but I'll do anything I can to help. It's the least I can do after you…" Everything she wanted to say sounded so pedestrian in comparison to what Emmett had done, taking a bullet that could just as easily have hit her.

"Practically crushing you to death? You're welcome," he replied with a laugh.

She rested her hand atop his, forcing his friendly chuckle to subside as she fought back tears. The fact that he was alive and relatively well and laughing after everything that happened should've made her laugh as well or at least smile. But she couldn't help but remember all that blood. She had thought he was dead. He could make jokes if he wanted but she couldn't leave the room without properly thanking him.

"Thank you, Emmett." Her voice was soft and strained with the effort of holding her emotions in check. "I never imagined that anyone would… would…"

"Take a bullet for you?"

Bella cringed. "Yes."

Emmett wriggled his fingers beneath hers and gave her hand a squeeze until she looked up.

"That's my job, you know. To stand in front of bullets."

"But not with me behind you-"

"It doesn't matter who's behind me, just so long as they are."

His smile remained but a seriousness pervaded his face and Bella's gaze lingered on his dark eyes for a moment. How this man could be so caring and kind to someone he barely knew was so contrary to the way the rest of the Cullen family behaved. She'd witnessed more vitriol between Edward and his own family than she'd ever seen between anyone. And yet something about this family drew people in. Emmett, for one, with his willingness to block bullets. And Bella supposed she fell into the same category as well. Hadn't she been charmed by both Carlisle and Edward? And despite her newfound awareness of just how shrewd and cruel this family could be, wasn't she still at their house? Why hadn't she left? Forced Edward to let her go? Just called an Uber and walked out the damn door?

"Feeling guilty enough to do me a favor?"

Emmett's voice sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away and Bella felt a twinge of sadness. Is that how she'd really feel if she were far away from the Cullen Estate? Sad?

It doesn't matter. You're not far away. You're trapped in the damn house like a prisoner.

And that was all it took for her tears to disappear.

"Bella?" Emmett's voice was closer now. "I'm trying to trade in on your guilt and good nature here."

And she was willing to let him. A girl couldn't live on a great home gym alone. It would be nice to have a friend until she was paroled from the estate.

"Sure," she grinned good-naturedly. "It's the least I can do. Looking for me to sneak up some contraband Halo Top?"

The idea of a little light thievery had a certain appeal to it. Plus, it'd be nice to have a legitimate excuse to avoid Edward. Maybe Emmett's favor would even get her out of the house. Probably not far but she'd take a quick jog to check the mail or something if it meant getting out from under the same roof as Edward. Hell, if she could make it to the end of the driveway without getting shot at, maybe Edward would realize she had never been in any danger and let her go the heck home.

"Need me to mail a letter? Got a pen pal in Arizona waiting to hear from you?" Bella couldn't fight the grin growing on her face. For the first time in two days she felt a glimmer of hope, an end to the limbo of house arrest she was existing under.

Emmett should his head. "No pen pals. But I have got a friend you could help out."

Bella was going to need a little more than that to go on. Not only did she not know Emmett very well but she only ever really considered him as having one friend: Edward.

A blush rose on Emmett's cheeks as he fought to maintain eye contact.

"Oh no," Bella murmured. "Emmett…"

"Wait! Hear me out!"

"Emmett… Emmett… whatever your last name is," spluttered Bella. "Absolutely not."

"I'm not asking you to sleep with him!" Emmett leaned toward her with a sudden wince.

Bella reached out to help Emmett prop back against the pillows out of habit more than compassion. Once he was settled, she stood and crossed her arms. Just how much of this had been a plan? The whole thing? Had Emmett's early release from the hospital been designed to somehow lure Bella back into Edward's bed?

"Edward didn't ask me to talk to you," Emmett said, reading her thoughts.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Not that she believed Emmett, but his insistence didn't seem like than act.

"Listen," Emmett continued. "I know I don't know you but you seemed happy when you were around him."

Bella wanted to laugh. She wanted to summon a humorless, mocking laugh that showed Emmett just how wrong he was. Only he wasn't wrong. All things considered – the stupid owl story, a crazy family dinner, Carlisle's blatant elitism, her pseudo-imprisonment – Bella had been happy. Long after she'd outlived her usefulness at Cullen Estate, she stuck around because of Edward.

"And I know Edward."

Bella refused to sit back down but couldn't think of a good reason to leave. What waited for her outside this room? At least here she had someone to talk to.

"Yeah?" she replied. "How long have you known him?"

Emmett smiled. It was a great big, boyish grin. "Practically my whole life. Since we were seven." His smile faltered as he gazed beyond Bella and far into the past.

"Seven, huh?" Bella called him back to the present.

"Uh huh." The corner of his mouth had dropped slightly and he made a feeble attempt to lift it again. "I had a drunk dad and an absentee mom. That kind of thing makes teachers and other parents look at you a certain way."

"Pity," Bella offered.

Emmett bobbed his head in agreement.

"And kids. I guess kids maybe don't know about pity until they're older. So they were either mean or nothing at all. Just left me alone."

"Except Edward."

"Except Edward." Emmett's smile returned full force. "He took me home. To his home. And you know, his home looked a lot different than mine but it wasn't really. His dad was around but he was just as distant as my mom was."

"So he was always the great guy he is today?" Bella asked.

Emmett laughed. "He's not so bad. Just focused."

"You could say the same about Edward," Bella countered.

"Until a few weeks ago." Emmett peered up at Bella. If nothing else, he'd perfected his puppy dog eyes.

Bella dropped back down to the bed with an exaggerated sigh. Emmett was too happy to wince this time. "Alright, alright. You win."

"You'll do me a favor?" Emmett asked.

"I'll hear you out," Bella said. "No promises."

"Okay." Emmett's grin gave him away. He wasn't giving himself enough credit when it came to how well he knew Bella.

EPOV

He was getting real tired of Emmett's shit. Of course, shit was all relative. Edward was no stranger to playing nursemaid at Emmett's bedside. They'd taken turns over the years, between injuries sustained inside and outside the ring, and Emmett was a notoriously bad patient. Whiny and demanding, each injury more grave than the last, at least according to Emmett. Edward often marveled – loudly and to anyone who would listen – that he was surprised Emmett made his way back to fighting form. But this Emmett was a whole new ballgame. The whimpering and moaning were nonexistent. They had been replaced by chatty diatribes about how Edward was driving Bella away and what he could do to repair the damage. Edward almost preferred the crybaby.

Their usual employer-employee dynamic didn't allow for nearly as much relationship advice. Edward liked the old balance. A mix of employee, friend and brother. Emmett was easy to work with. He took orders well and could read between the lines.

Maybe a little too well, Edward thought, recalling Emmett's latest bit of advice: No more games. No more bartering for affection. If you want her, just tell her. As if telling Bella he wanted to sleep with her would win her over.

Besides Edward had already vowed to keep his hands off her and he'd done just that for three whole days and counting. Whether he wanted her wasn't the problem. How he was supposed to keep her safe without crossing that line was the problem. Especially since keeping her safe meant keeping her in close proximity. Until Edward knew exactly what happened, no one was going anywhere.

And so far his investigation had turned up nothing. The two people directly involved in the shooting saw nothing and Edward was sick of asking questions. He wasn't a cop. And until recently his job didn't involve paperwork. It was all fists and fighting and he was more than ready to put those skills to use. He just wasn't cut out for cutthroat negotiations like his father. Edward lacked the patience required to play the long game. He wanted to hit someone. That was how he solved things.

I just need to know who the hell to hit, Edward thought. And until he did, his options were limited. At the rate he was going, his punching bag was going to need to be replaced.

Unless I relieve my frustration some other way. The errant thought had no more business being in his brain than the image of Bella's face did and yet there they were.

With additional incentive to bust the bag until the seams popped, Edward strode into his room stripping off his shirt and hoping he had a clean pair of gym pants nearby.

"It's about time."

Edward's simmering rage seemed to cool and boil over at the same time. Just hearing Bella's voice eased a certain ache in his chest that he hadn't noticed until it was gone. And yet he couldn't – shouldn't – have her, making his quest for the punching bag all the more urgent.

She sat curled up in the large wingback chair opposite his bed, a magazine in her hands which she'd dropped to the nearby side table when he walked in. Now she focused her gaze upon him and Edward found himself unable to take another step forward. He wanted to cross the room and do all the things he vaguely remembered promising not to do but instead balled his fists into the shirt in his hands. If he was even half a gentleman he would've put the damn thing back on, but the last thing he needed was more obstacles on his way to the gym.

Plus the door's still open, he reminded himself. Just another reason to keep his distance. Wouldn't want to have the staff walking in on us, he thought wryly.

Bella looked him over. Her gaze made a slow circuit from his face to his feet and back again and Edward wasn't sure what to make of the look in her eye. It wasn't entirely uninterested and she sure seemed to linger on his bare chest.

"I saw Emmett," she finally said.

Edward grunted in response. There was no telling what Emmett had said to her so he thought it best to remain as neutral as possible.

A small smile flickered across Bella's mouth before she punished her bottom lip with a gnawing bite.

"He seems to be doing well."

Edward grunted again and reluctantly unfurled his shirt and slipped it back on. The gym would have to wait. He buttoned the shirt back up with more force than was necessary for mere plastic but perfectly appropriate for channeling the vitriol he felt towards his oldest friend. "His mouth is anyway."

The untethered corner of Bella's lips curled up in a smile. "He does like to talk. Who knew?"

"That's why I usually try to keep him busy."

It felt good to talk with Bella. Edward knew he was probably imagining the flirty undertone he wanted to hear but at least they were talking, even if it was superficial banter. Bella just might single-handedly save his punching bag.

"If he'd stayed at the hospital, you wouldn't have to hear it." Bella replied.

Or not. Edward heaved a sigh and looked heavenward, driving his hands deep into his pockets at the same time.

"Bella-"

"I'm a little pissed at you," Bella interrupted him.

His gaze locked on hers and he had the sudden urge to close the door. That way whatever shouting match was about to take place, at least it would remain somewhat private. Plus, whatever else might happen in the heat of the moment.

"No shit," Edward said.

"But I'm more pissed at myself."

What now?

Edward's jaw clicked and an eyebrow lifted infinitesimally, unsure he heard her right.

Bella unfolded her legs and stood, her hand resting on the arm of the chair for one indecisive moment before she took a few steps toward him.

"I don't like to play games," she said.

"Neither do I."

"Well, we both have been." Bella raised her eyebrows questioningly and Edward conceded with a nod. Their frustrating encounter in the gym the day before could've been sexy and fun, instead it was snippy and cold, like they were two people playing on opposite sides of the court and not on the same team.

We are on opposite teams, Edward thought. She doesn't understand why she needs to stay here and all I need is for her to do as I say.

"So, what did Emmett have to say?" Edward ventured.

"He told me a lot about you," said Bella. She crossed her arms but took another couple of steps toward him.

"Oh yeah…" Edward took his own step toward Bella. He wasn't entirely sure where this was going but the sly smirk on her face could only mean one thing. Emmett had spilled some embarrassing childhood memories.

They were still more than an arm's length apart and both had stopped moving. Ideally, the distance between them would be nonexistent but Edward knew that wasn't possible. Couldn't be possible.

"He said you shared a lot of things."

Edward's face felt hot. "Jessica Stanley," he said through gritted teeth.

"Wait, what?" Bella dropped any pretense.

"Uh, nothing," said Edward.

Bella narrowed her eyes playfully. "We'll come back to that."

"I'm sure we will," Edward muttered.

A comfortable silence descended upon the room. Bella appeared to be deep in thought and Edward took a moment to memorize everything about her. The casual way she flipped her hair over her shoulder, the late evening sun casting an ethereal shine to it. She chewed her lip in earnest, an endearing quirk that Edward was certain she did unconsciously. The same could be said for the way she planted her feet, like she wasn't going anywhere. This was a woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. And that terrified him. Because if she wanted answers from him - to know what his family did and who he was - she wouldn't stop until she found him out and then she'd take those fast feet and run as far away from him as she could.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted the other day. When Emmett…" Bella began.

Edward waved his hand and stepped forward to… what? Console her?

"And this is where you say you're sorry for the way you acted too." Bella said, ignoring his attempted dismissal. "That's how 'no games' works, Edward. We lay all our cards on the table."

Once again, she'd stunned him into silence and a momentary out-of-body experience that was broken only when she touched his arm. She'd crossed into his personal space, the scent of her shampoo pervading his senses and scattering his thoughts with just her touch. Her hand wasn't merely resting on his arm. She curled her fingers around his forearm and held tight.

"What's the point, Bella?" Edward's voice was low and rough. He really didn't know what she was getting at. Was this her way of clearing the air before asking to leave again? Demanding to leave? He couldn't bring himself to consider any other possibility.

She worried that lip again as she stared up at him. His hand twitched in his pocket, he wanted to pull it free.

"Emmett asked me to do him a favor."

Edward's breath caught in his chest. So that's why she was here. Because Emmett had asked her to come. And just what did he want her to do?

"He's not my goddamn babysitter."

Bella laughed. "No and he's a shitty therapist too. So, don't tell him I think he made a few good points."

Edward snorted in response. A reaction Bella seemed to agree with as she nodded.

"Just a few," she conceded.

Her hand gripped his arm a little tighter, urging his hand from his pocket. When he removed it, she let her fingers skate down to brush against his knuckles. She brought her other hand up to cradle his palm and she glanced down at where her fingers investigated.

"He said you like to hit things- need to hit things." Her voice was quiet and soft, just like her touch.

Edward opted for another grunt. Men who hit things didn't talk about it.

So why the hell did Emmett?

"Better than hitting people," Edward said without any real conviction.

"Yeah right," said Bella. "Like you're not dying to get your hands on whoever shot Emmett."

He jerked his hand out of Bella's grasp. Was this Emmett's grand plan? Have Bella talk to him about his anger issues. As if talking was any substitute for fighting. Or anything else for that matter.

Bella didn't move. In fact, she froze in place. Was she afraid of him?

"I would never hit you," Edward said. What did it say about him that he had to assure her of that?

Bella shook her head, surprise clear on her face. "I never thought you would."

"What do you want, Bella? What did Emmett ask you to do?" If she wanted all the cards on the table, Edward was happy to oblige. He didn't have the patience to bullshit.

Folding her arms across her chest again, Bella tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "I want to get the hell out of here and Emmett asked me to stay."

"So you'll stay for him then?" Edward matched Bella's stance.

"In case you forgot, you told me to leave. I was about to leave." Her voice was growing in volume until she broke off and took a deep breath. Bella ran her hands through her hair. It tangled in her fingers and she twisted it into a knot that cascaded over her shoulder as soon as she let it go.

A small fraction of Edward's anger dissipated in the wake of Bella's quick temper. He dropped his arms and tried to focus on anything but the flush in her cheeks and breathless sighs she kept making.

"Feel like hitting something?" He couldn't help but tease her.

A glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes, despite the serious set of her mouth. "Maybe." But whatever it was she felt like hitting would remain a mystery. "I'm not staying for Emmett. Or because of Emmett. I'm staying because-"

"You're staying?" Edward both interrupted her and invaded her personal space at the same time.

Only because I'm not sure I heard her right, he told himself.

"You're staying?" he repeated, his hands finding Bella's arms.

She nodded. "I'm staying because I said I would. The rest of the month. Whether I help your father or not, Emmett will need PT once his shoulder has healed. But I do have conditions."

Edward's hands stilled on Bella's arms. He'd been rubbing soft circles into her skin and now waited for the other shoe to drop. It's not like he expected Bella to jump into his bed and he was truly happy just to have her stick around a little while longer without feeling like she was a prisoner. But he refused to get his hopes up. Edward sincerely doubted he'd be able to meet her conditions.

"First, I'm still waiting for that apology."

Easy. Done. "I'm so-"

"You invite Alice Brandon out here for a visit and I'll consider us square."

"I think I'd rather apologize." Edward had looked into Alice Brandon just like every other aspect of Bella's life and while Alice was clean, she looked like a handful on paper. Edward wasn't sure he needed that kind of a headache in person.

"While that's an intriguing proposition," Bella said. "And one I admit I'm curious to see one day, for now I'll take Alice for four days instead."

"Two," Edward countered.

"Three."

"Fine," Edward huffed. "You're infuriating."

Now Bella's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "What are you going to do about it?"

If that wasn't an invitation, Edward didn't know what was.

"Nothing," he answered grudgingly.

Bella raised an eyebrow and moved ever so slightly closer, forcing Edward's arms around her back. "Ah, I thought we agreed to be honest."

If she moved any closer she was going to see how big a liar he was.

"Let's see those cards, Edward." Her exasperated sighs had transformed into throaty insinuations and the switch was likely to kill him. "Or maybe that's the wrong question," she continued. "What do you want to do about it?"

Edward cleared his throat and hoped to god his voice worked when he tried it. "Irrelevant."

"Why?" Bella pressed him as she pressed against him. "Because you won't do it? What's stopping you?"

Not much. The heat of her body burned through her shirt and his. Edward's fingers had already found their way beneath the hem of her t-shirt and he was mere centimeters from bypassing the waistband of her pants. Edward closed his eyes and tried not to breathe in her sweet smell.

"I can't seem to think straight whenever you're around." Edward spoke the truth. "And I'm afraid…" There were so many things he could say. Afraid of hurting her, losing her, driving her away. The list was practically endless and he wondered if he should just put the period there. He was afraid.

BPOV

What the hell could Edward Cullen possibly be afraid of? Bella wondered. This was a man who fought beasts in a ring and wrangled beastly family members without batting an eye.

"Afraid of what?" she prompted.

Edward opened his eyes, his gaze flickering briefly to Bella's face before settling somewhere distant and unfocused. "Everything?"

It wasn't so much an answer as another question. With a blink he focused back on her face and Bella searched his eyes for answers. He looked tired and she wondered if that's what she did to him. Emmett assured her she was good for him. That he was different when she was around. And while she would've said the same thing, she was enormously biased. The fact that someone on the outside saw the difference too was telling. But she couldn't be very good for him if he was afraid of her.

Or is he afraid of the idea of 'us'?

"So like spiders and snakes or are we talking clowns and ax murderers?" Bella may have been the one to insist on all their cards being on the table but even she knew a full deck included two jokers.

The corners of Edward's eyes crinkled as he smiled and blinked his attention back to her. "Well who isn't afraid of clowns?"

Bella conceded with an enthusiastic nod. "I know, right?"

Her hands found the pockets of his pants and slipped inside. She needed him closer, needed him to understand that this thing between them didn't need to have a label or an expiration date or conditions. It was obvious that they both just needed it to be. And if Edward's fear of clowns was going to inspire extreme caution, then it was Bella's job to step on the gas.

"The thing about fears is you have to confront them." Bella slipped her hands from Edward's pockets and shrugged out of her t-shirt without leaving the circle of his arms. Leaning toward him, she unclasped her bra and let the straps fall down her arms. When she straightened up, she tossed the bra to the side and smirked up at Edward. She couldn't really blame him for his sudden lack of eye contact.

"I'm not afraid of boobs, Bella," he chided her jokingly, his gaze reluctantly returning to her own.

"Do you want to confront your fears or not?"

"I do," he said. "I definitely do. But Bella…"

Bella had to wonder how she'd feel if Edward wasn't being so damned cautious. Because at the moment all she could think about was shedding the rest of her clothes and climbing all over the man standing before her. The same man she tried walking away from just a few days ago.

This isn't a relationship, Bella, she lied to herself. It's fun and easy and something you both want.

Emmett hadn't asked her to sleep with Edward. He just asked her not to ignore him.

You can not ignore someone with your clothes on, that inner voice yammered on.

"Edward." Bella needed to shut up her inner monologue just as much as she needed to shut Edward up. "Kiss me."

His hands tightened at her waist, fingers edging beneath the waistband of her jeans. She shivered against his touch.

"Kiss me," she repeated, her voice now quiet and pleading.

The gaze he'd been so reluctant to maintain was now unbreakable as he leaned down toward her. The tip of his nose brushed against hers and their breath mingled for a brief moment before his lips were on hers. She'd asked for the kiss and so let him lead the way. Let him sort out his indecision and break through whatever walls he'd been trying so desperately to construct. And just like that, he gave in.

While one of his hands rode lower, the other plunged into her hair and angled her head. Their lips parted and Edward's tongue was hungry against hers. She pressed against him, her hands fisting into his shirt. Edward breathlessly explored her mouth, unable to get any closer but trying nonetheless. And Bella gave in. Offered her lips over to his hungry mouth and enjoying the slow burn now coursing through her veins. Fleeting thoughts of multitasking flitted through her brain, none able to withstand the intoxication of Edward Cullen long enough to linger. Something about his shirt and it's buttoned-up status. Something else about fastened jeans and dress pants. Most thoughts seemed to involve clothing of some sort and Bella wasn't interested in thinking about clothes in the least. Not when Edward's mouth worked across her bruised lips so thoroughly.

Bella's nagging subconscious was the first casualty of the fire burning in her veins. Common sense and rational thought followed soon thereafter. All that mattered was the man in her arms and how right everything felt when they were together.

One errant thought bubbled into Bella's brain, a brief cry from her subconscious that she'd be an idiot to ignore. All the cards, Bella.

"No sleepovers," she murmured against his lips.

Edward had come up for air every few seconds and smiled against her mouth as he replied, "You're living in my house."

"You sleep in your room, I sleep in mine."

Edward signaled his agreement with another kiss. "You run inside. Still."

Bella groaned. A sound that was due to Edward's continued demand and his lips in equal measure. She kissed him back. "No more gunshots."

Edward pulled back, worry creasing the space between his eyebrows. "Bella..."

"I was kidding," Bella said. She looped her hands around his neck and tried to pull him back down to no avail. She lifted to her toes and pressed her chest against his before peppering his chin with light kisses. "Edward…"

She was determined to erase that pout one way or another.

"No going outside at all," Edward insisted as he gave into Bella's pull. His lips crashed into hers, his hunger driving the kiss. His hands roamed from her hair, across her bare back before wrapping tightly around her lithe body. "You stay inside." He moved onto her neck, lavishing her skin with kisses. "I need you safe."

Bella tilted her head, welcoming Edward's warm kisses that now caressed the span of her collarbone. With a sigh, she replied. "And I need me sane."

Edward gazed up at her from under heavy lidded eyes, a wicked gleam promising to drive her as far away from sanity as possible.

"Alice Brandon. Three days." Alice may not be the most direct path to sanity but Bella needed her there. Even if it was only for a few days. Bella knew her resolve would crack as soon as she let Edward in again and she needed Alice and her crazy conspiracy theories to remind Bella this wasn't a good idea.

"Crazy…" Edward ducked his head just enough to get his mouth on her skin again, sinking just low enough to craze the tops of her breasts. "But a promise is a promise."

Crazy is exactly what Bella would be if she didn't get a little balance and perspective. Edward was right that it was dangerous for Bella to be around him. Maybe not for whatever mysterious reason he had but Bella didn't doubt that she could lose all sense of her real life the longer she stayed around him. The protective bubble he provided was a blissful reprieve from the real world of paying bills and going to work, complete with multiple shower heads and gourmet kitchen. Despite all that, Bella actually enjoyed her life and Alice would remind her of that.

That's what friends do, Bella thought. The promise she made to Emmett sprang to the forefront of her mind. That Edward never opened up to anyone like he had with Bella and if he considered her a friend – if that's what they were becoming – she wasn't about to let him down. Not that her friendship with Alice involved quite as much kissing. Or toplessness.

Edward lifted Bella into his arms, his hands firm on her backside and his lips firm in other places. Bella arched her chest toward him, encouraging his mouth just as he encouraged her legs to wrap around his waist. And suddenly she was moving – it felt like falling – as Edward took a step forward and then another. And his lips were sucking at her nipples and then her neck and making her dizzy. Or maybe it was the sudden turn Edward made. And then they really were falling. Into the chair Bella had been sitting in earlier, only now it was Edward who was sitting with Bella astride him.

"You're wearing entirely too many clothes," Bella complained. She ground down on his lap, eliciting a groan from Edward that caused a momentary pause in his battery of kisses.

Bella decided it was her turn. She brought her mouth down to his, sucking at his swollen lips. She couldn't do all that she wanted to while he was dressed but there was something to be said for the way his dress shirt felt against her bare chest. Her nipples certainly liked the feel of it. And the more she pressed against him, the more her core pulsed and twitched in anticipation of its own turn.

"Can't do anything about that with you sitting on me," Edward replied.

"Are you asking me to get off you?" Bella stroked her tongue against his lip. That was about the only part of her willing to move slowly and even that was too slow. She sealed her mouth against his, searching out his tongue and holding tight to his shirt.

"Looks like you won't have any trouble getting off," Edward breathed when Bella finally pulled back.

She grinned at him and rocked her hips against the steel rod in his pants. The move lifted her higher in his lap and once again her chest was fully exposed to Edward's talented mouth. He latched onto her nipples, one at a time, drawing them out and humming at the taste of her.

With his hands free, he made quick work of the button on her jeans. That was as far as he got. Bella's jeans stretched tight across her hips in her current position and Edward barely got a finger on her panties.

"This isn't going to work," she said.

"Get up," he said at the same time.

Bella scrambled to her feet, Edward following to work on his own pants as Bella shimmied loose from hers.

"Condom," Edward managed, his pants unzipped and open but still resting on his hips.

Bella's hands were on his chest again, pushing him back into the chair. She climbed back onto his lap and waved a small foil packet in front of her. "I came prepared."

Edward's hands went still on Bella's hips. "Pretty sure I'd give into your demands, huh?"

"Pretty sure," Bella said with a shrug.

With Edward holding her steady, Bella's hands were free to roam and so they did. His tight boxer briefs did little to contain the impressive package inside. With a quick slip of her hand, she pulled him free and ate up the groan that tumbled from his lips as her hand closed around him.

"Bella," he said her name over and over between kisses. It sounded like a plea or a prayer or maybe a little bit of both and Bella didn't waste any time tearing open the little foil packet, as an answer to his prayer.

Edward swore loudly as Bella rolled the condom on with firm strokes. He dropped his head against the high back of the chair, his jaw clenched so that a sharp hiss escaped as Bella rolled the edge of the condom to the root of his cock. She may or may not have lingered there a bit, enjoying the hardness of him and the way the muscles along his stomach jumped and twitched beneath her finger tips. She could definitely spend some serious time exploring every inch of muscle on this man's body. And she'd finish her exploration with a thorough tribute to his cock. It swayed toward his stomach, properly sheathed and begging for her to sit on it. Then again, that might have been Edward who was begging. The noises he was making were driving Bella wild. She wanted to swallow his curses and then his cock so she could hear his hungry growl rumbling through his body and into her. Bella watched him, his eyes slowly opened, his head still tipped back. She waited for his plea or demand. It didn't matter which it was.

Both sound good, she thought. And immediately wondered if she shouldn't add a few more demands to her list. Somehow I think 'blow job' may sound more like favor than a condition. So maybe they were the type of friends who did each other favors.

"Two. I also want two orgasms," Bella said.

"Is that all?" Edward bartered.

"Cocky."

"Most definitely," he replied.

Bella had to agree with him there.

"Come here." Edward eased her hips higher, his firm tight yet gentle.

His fingertips brushed the thin fabric of her panties, an oversight on Bella's part. But clearly not much of an obstacle for Edward. He traced a finger along the inside of her thigh, hooking it beneath the fabric and stroking against her skin as he eased her panties aside from where she wanted him most. Bella grasped his cock again and guided him to her slick seam, pausing momentarily before easing onto his lap and filling her with the most delicious sense of satiety.

"Come here," Edward repeated, his hands back on her hips and encouraging her to move.

The satisfaction of finally having him inside of her was short-lived. It was like she'd nearly crossed the finish line only to have it move just out of sight. And her body desperately wanted to chase it down. She rocked her hips and inched her way closer. Pulling at that invisible sense of euphoria she could feel hovering just around the bend. Edward's directive for her to come wasn't going to take her long to fulfill.

"Then come here." Edward stuck out his tongue and dragged it over his bottom lip.

A shiver ran over Bella's skin, tightening her nipples to hard points as she rocked on Edward's lap. She wanted that tongue on her.

"Someone's anxious…" Bella teased.

Edward grunted. "It's been almost four days."

Bella threw her head back with a loud laugh. One of Edward's hands rose to span the side of Bella's outthrust chest, his thumb grazing her nipple. She dropped her gaze back down to him, a hungry look in his eye. "What did you do before I came along?"

It wasn't unlikely that Edward usually had girls lined up around the block. Maybe going more than four days without getting laid was unheard of. And yet there were no women showing up at the house. No early morning send-offs or walk of shame parade. And when Edward pulled his gaze from Bella's chest to her face, his eyes were just as naked as Bella's breasts.

"Good question."

Bella didn't realize she was holding her breath until she let it go with a soft whimper as Edward rolled his hips. Her hands fell to his shoulders and she held on tight. Edward gave another slow thrust and Bella bit into her lip with a gasp. The smile spreading across Edward's face was most definitely smug but also unbelievably hot. And absolutely kissable.

Leaning in, her hands framing his face, Bella rose up on his lap as she placed her lips on his. His tongue pressed into her mouth just as drove his hips upwards again. Their moans collided and Bella drove her hands into his hair. Scraping and pulling, her body tingled with an anxious energy that needed an outlet and Edward was it. Bella met his every thrust and pressed her chest against his. She couldn't decide if she wanted to feel his skin on hers or if she preferred the feel of his shirt rubbing against her bare nipples.

Edward's hands stroked up and down Bella's back, his touch setting her skin on fire. He'd return his hands to her hips and pull her back down and then they'd travel the length of her legs, as far as he could touch. With every new place Edward's hands roamed, Bella grew more and more aware of just how naked she was. And there was something crazy sexy about wearing nothing more than a tiny pair of panties while Edward remained fully clothed. The fabric of his pants rubbed at her inner thighs and her hands frequently found the collar of his shirt. It was the perfect hold for her fists as her toes curled and she chased down the building pressure that swirled low in her belly.

"So sexy," Edward murmured as Bella dropped her head back again. She was out of breath and desperate to come. His lips got busy across her collarbone and down between her breasts until finally his tongue was circling one tingling nipple.

Bella wanted to tell Edward how good he felt, how close she was but couldn't do much more than moan and sigh.

"Next time wear a skirt," Edward said between her breasts as he worked his over to suck at her other nipple.

Bella clung to Edward's head, holding him in place and trying to gather enough brain cells to decipher his latest demand and failing miserably.

"Why?" she gasped. She didn't know if it was the position they were in or Edward's gloriously large cock but Bella was seeing stars with every single one of his thrusts.

His hands were back on her hips, holding her down as he rocked into her. Bella whimpered and reached for Edward's shirt again. "Don't stop doing that."

Edward let loose with a throaty laugh that rocketed through Bella's core. She tried to move but Edward held her tight.

"You, in a skirt, riding me. And a sexy blouse with just the right number of buttons undone."

"All of them?" Bella was impressed at her ability to tease in her current state of complete and utter torment. Every nerve ending in her body quivered in exquisite anticipation.

"No," Edward said with a shake of his head. "Just one. Maybe two." He stroked one hand down her leg. "And heels. I can't wait to see what your legs look like with heels on when they're thrown over my shoulders."

Bella bit at her lip. She brought a hand to Edward's face, the scruff of his jaw rough against her palm. "And what will you be wearing?"

"Nothing."

The picture Edward painted was vivid in Bella's mind. And she couldn't deny the appeal. Edward ravaging her body, bowing to her every whim, his strapping body laid out naked and hard for her pleasure.

"Let me move," she finally begged. Edward relented immediately and Bella rose up to her knees and then sunk back down onto him.

Her pace increased in direct proportion to the number of stars now dancing in her vision. And while there were a hell of a lot of them, there weren't so many that Bella didn't catch Edward sucking the pad of his thumb into his mouth just seconds before it was pressing between her legs. He sought out the sensitive bundle of nerves there that immediately began to throb beneath his touch. Bella rocked against his hand and back onto his cock and clutched once again at his hair and his shirt and anything else she could grasp.

"Oh god," she breathed, urged on by the delighted grin on his face. It didn't matter if he was smug, Bella had every intention of sitting on that pretty little smirk for orgasm number two in a matter of seconds.

Edward leaned forward in the chair, his cock angled just right to stroke at her clit as he drove into her. His hands rose up her back and into her hair so that he could tilt her head just right to capture her mouth once again. Their tongues touched and Bella felt that wave of powerlessness cresting low in her belly. Her legs shook and her body trembled and yet Edward held her tight. His lips were firm and fierce against hers, his body leading hers toward a blissful release.

Bella gasped and shuddered and Edward's teeth sank into her lip on a low moan. His bite set her body on fire, incinerating the slowly-building tension. It let loose in an uncoiling burst of pleasure that left Bella sated and limp in Edward's firm hands. He kissed her through the undulating waves of pleasure until her vision cleared and her mind emerged from its orgasmic fog.

Edward stroked Bella's hair down her back and moved his lips from her mouth to her jaw, neck and beyond as she lay her head down against his shoulder.

"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook." Bella's threat lost all credibility when uttered in a breathless whisper.

Edward chuckled and kissed her shoulder. "Is this about Alice?"

"No," Bella said. "I'm talking about orgasm number two."

"Bella, you're practically boneless."

She rocked her hips and managed to tear a groan from Edward's lips. "You're not."

"No," Edward agreed with a grunt. "But that'll have to wait."

"Why?" Bella pouted uselessly. Edward couldn't see her face from where she had it buried in his chest.

"Because I want that second one on my lips."

Before Bella could say anything, Edward pulled out of her and lifted her wasted body into his arms. When he replaced her onto the chair and knelt on the floor in front of her, Bella felt the unmistakable stirrings of arousal flutter low in her belly once again. He hooked his thumbs into the sides of her panties and eased them down her legs. Once he'd tossed them over his shoulder, he spread her knees apart and licked his lips.

"Any other demands, Miss Swan?"

"Yeah," Bella said, a luxuriously lazy blink aimed at Edward's intense green eyes. "Take your time."

 **A/N: Does everyone feel better knowing Bella is safe and sound and Emmett is (relatively) safe and sounds as well? Here's hoping my promise of no more cliffhangers works out better than my promise to write and edit quicker. Now, for the real question... what do you hope to see in the next chapter? Anyone else anxious for Bella's second demand? Do we want to see Edward's fantasy in action? Or shall we cut to the chase and get Alice to Cullen Estate ASAP? I can't promise you an answer will make me write any faster, but I never mind a nudge or two to keep me typing. ;) Most importantly, thank you, thank you, thank you for reading!**


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